Falling at my own pace
by Morbidmuch
Summary: Some fall fast, some fall slow, and some don't fall at all. OC/Cedric
1. Chapter 1

A/N: When this idea came to me I was actually kind of shocked, especially since I've only read like 10 Harry Potter stories. Anywho; this is my latest project, and I hope you like it. I will post a link to how she looks (basically) on my profile, so feel free the check it out. Criticism is always welcomed, but no flames please. I'm still new to the whole world of Harry Potter fan fiction. Enjoy :)

Dislcaimer: I don't own anything but my original characters.

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**Falling at my own Pace**

**Chapter 1**

"Ava get up, you're going to miss breakfast,"

I groaned and tried to push away the hand that was shoving on my shoulder. "5 more minutes," I mumbled, snuggling deeper into my pillow.

"Get up now or I'll dump a bucket of water on your head!"

I sighed, knowing very well that Tara wasn't joking, and I really didn't want cold water on my head. "Bloody hell," I groaned and sat up, dragging my hands through my hair. "I'm up, I'm up," I looked up at the tall blonde standing in front of my bed, her hands on her hips and her green eyes looking menacing at me.

"I'm going down for breakfast in 10 minutes, be ready by then," she said, and then disappeared down into the common room. I stood up and stretched my muscles, wincing as my limbs cracked.

Grabbing my uniform I walked to the bathroom to freshen up before breakfast. I washed my face and then took a moment to reflect my reflection in the mirror. I'd never considered myself beautiful, only shy of _pretty._ An oddball, my mum used to call me. My dark blue eyes were a bit too big for my liking, and my nose was slightly crooked. My hair was bone straight and waist long, with bangs that covered my right eye. It was russet coloured, the same colour as my mother's hair was. I looked a lot like her, even thought she was more beautiful than me.

I brushed out my hair and put it in a messy bun before putting on my uniform. When I was finished I walked back to the dorm and dropped my sleep-wear on the bed. I shared the dorm with four other girls; all of them in their 6th year like me.

I grabbed my book bag and went down to the common room, which was empty except for Tara. I smiled at her. "Ready to go?"

She gave me a dark look. "I was ready half an hour ago," I glanced up at the clock and noticed that it was only little after 8; there was no reason to hurry.

"Let's go then," I said, and we crawled out of the portrait hole and went towards the Great Hall. It was only the second day on the semester, and the room was buzzing with exited talk about the summer, and also on the Triwizard Tournament. Tara had her mind set on entering having just turned 17, and I cheered her on for that. Another big subject was the Quidditch World Cup, which it seemed like every student had been to. Even I, who had little interest in the sport, had been there, going with my mum and older brother.

When we got into the Great Hall and all the different food aromas hit me, I felt my stomach rumble and my mouth water. I was famished. We sat down close to the middle, and I started to load up food on my plate, pushing back my bangs as they disturbed my vision.

"Ava," Tara whispered suddenly, leaning over close to me and almost dipping her hair in my orange juice. I looked up at her, still eating at my toast. "Cedric Diggory is looking at you,"

I looked over her shoulder, and looked straight into a pair of grey eyes. When he saw that I was looking, he smiled. His smile, a beautifully crooked one, was contagious and I gave a small smile before I looked back at my piece of toast, ignoring the feeling I'd gotten in my stomach. What was his deal anyway?

"I've gotta go, I've got McGonagall, and she'll kill me if I'm late," I said and stood up, taking the last piece of my toast. I started to walk towards the doors, my hand in my book bag trying to find my timetable. Suddenly I felt myself trip over something, and the floor came closer to my vision. Squeezing my eyes shut, I waited for my body to make impact with the floor. Instead, I felt two strong arms around my waist, catching me only mere inches from the hard stone floor.

I looked up and was once again met by a pair of grey eyes, now looking concerned at me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, pulling me up to my feet. I straightened out my skirt and nodded.

"Yeah I'm fine, thanks," I picked up my book bag, which had fallen to the floor and then glanced at my watch. "I've gotta run, but thanks again," I smiled before continuing on towards my class, feeling my face fluster. I tried to ignore the way his hands on my waist had felt, but I couldn't. Then I felt angry with myself. I had spent so much time building up my walls, I was not going to let some _boy_ break them down. I had them for a reason.

--

As I got back down for lunch, I looked around for Tara, but didn't see her anywhere. There was a line at the doors, and I waited impatiently. I was so busy looking for her that I crashed into the person standing in front of me.

"Sorry," I grimaced and the boy turned around. I recognized his flame red hair immediately. _Ah, this is a Weasley kid I reckon_.

"No problem," he squeaked, and then rushed to the Gyffindor table, sitting down next to a girl with bushy brown hair and a black haired boy with glasses. _Harry Potter_. I knew of him, like everybody else in the wizarding world, but had rarely paid any attention to him.

I sat down at the table and started to eat very slowly, knowing that I didn't have any classes after lunch. I planned to spend the afternoon in the library, doing homework. I was just sinking my teeth in a delicious piece of Yorkshire pudding when someone spoke.

"Hello,"

I choked on my food when I heard the voice, and went into a coughing fit. I could feel my face start to get red and I took a big swig of my pumpkin juice. Then I became aware of the fact that a hand was rubbing smooth circles on my back. Once the coughing went down I pulled back, and stared right into the eyes of Cedric Diggory. I must have looked pretty shocked because he chuckled, his eyes gleaming as he removed his hand.

"I'm sorry I scared you," he sounded generally concerned, and I couldn't help but being surprised. Before today, I'd always thought of him as a bit arrogant. But then again, I'd never spend time with him before, only seen him from a distance or in class. I guess you could say he was one of the most popular kids in this place. Girls fell at his feet, the younger boys wanted to be like him. Prefect, quidditch captain, all around good handsome guy.

"No, it's okay," I assured him. Why, I had no idea. "Did you want something?" I asked, narrowing my eyes a bit as I tried to size up what his intention was.

He looked at me for a few seconds, his mouth open as if he was gonna say something, before he actually spoke. "Yeah, I wanted to ask you if you knew how many pages Professor Vector wanted the homework on?"

"I don't take Arithmancy," I replied, finding it odd that he thought I did. His face fell a bit, but then he smiled.

"Okay then, I'll leave you to your lunch then. Bye," he stood up and walked away, his hands stuck in his pockets. I only stared after him.

"Okay, that was...weird," I mumbled to myself before collecting my book bag and standing up. I could see three fifth-years looking rudely at me, and I figured they were Cedric's 'fan club'. Laughing silently I went to the library, wanting to get my homework over and done with as soon as possible. The summer's warmth still lingered in the air until nightfall, and I wanted some time to sit in the sun before dinner.

I liked the library, it was quiet and you weren't disturbed. I went to a table in the back, and unpacked my things. The first homework I had was a three parchment essay on the Unforgivable Curses in my Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and I was dreading it. Professor Moody had demonstrated the curses on three spiders, and I felt disgusted just thinking about it.

I was almost done with the essay when I realized that I needed a different book than the one I had for that particular section. Sighing, I stood up and went down the long corridor of bookcases, reading the titles silently to myself as I searched for the book.

"Oh crap," I silently cursed when I realized that the book I needed was on the top shelf, and I wasn't tall enough to reach it. My wand was, off course, in my bag on the table, and I was too tired to walk over and get it and then walk back, so I looked around for another option. I saw a stool not far away, and a went over and grabbed it.

"Now we're talking," I smiled as carefully I stood up on the stool and reached for the book. I had to stand on my tip toes to reach it, and for a moment I thought I was going to fall, but then I grabbed hold of it and pulled it down from the shelf.

Unfortunately, it was covered in dust, and as I breathed in, I could feel it tickle my nose. I let out a loud sneeze, and the force made my already crappy balance become worse, and I could feel myself fall backwards. Everything went in slow motion, and I couldn't make a sound, I was so shocked. _This is it, I'm going to fall down and crack my head open on the floor. I wonder if Dumbledore will contact my mum. _

I felt my body fall, but instead of the hard floor connecting with my body, I fell into something soft. _Wait, soft? _I turned my head, and thought I was going to die from embarrassment. For who was holding my body in his arms with a smirk on his face but Cedric Diggory.

"You've got to be more careful, you could've split your head open," he said, his voice low and devoid of any emotion as he sat me down on the floor.

"I wasn't planning on falling if that's what you're thinking. I just happen to be a very clumsy person with a crappy balance," my voice was hushed too, I didn't want Madame Pince after me.

He laughed silently. "Well it's lucky that I always seem to be around to catch you, isn't there?"

I started to walk back to my table, and was mildly surprised when he followed. "Yeah, and why is that exactly? Are you stalking me or something?"

He smiled, crookedly, and I could feel my heart start to beat faster. _No, stupid heart, calm down. He's just a guy._ "Trust me, if I was stalking you, you'd never know,"

"That's a bit creepy," I admitted, sitting down and putting the book down in front of me.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable..." he trailed off, sitting down as he spoke, and I realized he didn't know my name. _Typical. _

"Oh, I'm Ava Roxley,"

"Cedric Diggory," he said like I wouldn't know that, and held out his hand for me to shake. I took it, grasping his warm hand in my own.

"Nice to officially meet you Cedric Diggory," I smirked, and he smiled again. _Damn it heart, stop flutter._

"It's nice to officially meet you too Ava Roxley,"

I let go of his hand, and reached to open my ink bottle. Trying very hard not to be too aware of his eyes on me, I fumbled a bit and the ink bottle nearly fell out of my hands before I got a hold of it again.

"Which subjects are you reading this year?" he asked, and I looked up at him.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Potions, Transfiguration, History of Magic and Charms. How about you?"

"I read the same as you, and Arithmancy,"

I was impressed. Arithmancy was a tough subject.

"You like academics then?" I asked, and he chuckled before running a hand through his hair.

"Not _that_ much, but I'm a fast learner,"

"Then why did you choose do many subjects if you're not that into studying?" he looked uncomfortable, and I mentally slapped myself. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry,"

"No, that's okay. It's just..." he sighed, and suddenly looked very tired. "It's complicated,"

"That's okay," I smiled. "I'm really not one for school work either,"

"You're not British, right? I'm trying to figure out your accent, but I'm at loss,"

"My mother's an American, so I have some American accent left, even though I've lived here almost my entire life,"

He smiled, but his smiled faded when he noticed my open books. "I'm sorry, I'm keeping you from your studies," he started to stand up, and strangely enough I didn't want that.

"No!" I called out, a bit too loud, and Madame Pince appeared from behind a bookcase.

"Sch," she snapped at me, and I smiled sheepishly at her, before turning back to Cedric, who had froze in his actions. I felt my face go red.

"I mean, you're not keeping me from my studies, I was almost finished anyway,"

He smiled. "Okay. I have to go, but I guess I'll see you around?"

I nodded. "Yeah, see you around," he left, and I looked after him, extremely confused by the feeling in my stomach. Shaking it off, I walked back to the dorm to drop off my book bag. I entered the common room, and went towards the tunnel that led to the dormitories.

"Roxley, looking good. When are you going to get over yourself and let me date you?" came an Irish voice from the corner, and I looked over to see Martin Garner, another sixth-year, smirking at me.

"Bite me Garner," I snapped back and walked up to my dorm. It was empty, and I dumped my bag on my bed before grabbing my black hoodie in case I got cold. I let my hair down and zipped up my black hoodie and then I was ready to go.

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Like it? Loathe it? Love it? Let me know.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I want to thank those of you who have reviewed/added to favourites/. This is chapter two, and if you have any questions, just send of a review and I'll answer. I won't update ever day in the future, school started today and I'm gonna be swamped (I'm a junior in high school). But I'll try to update twice a week. **

**If I forgot to mention this in the last chapter, the cursive writing that's sometimes in the middle of a paragraph is what she's thinking. And the first person to spot a little homage I did to the movie Goblet of fire will get a sneek peak on the next chapter.  
**

**Enjoy the show :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, only my original characters. Wait, I do own all the books, does that count?**

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**Falling at my own pace**

**Chapter 2**

I lay back against the grass and closed my eyes, breathing in the warm late-summer air. This was my favourite part of Hogwarts, down by the Quidditch Pitch where the grass was soft and the sun would shine. The warmth tickled my face, and I let out a sound of contentment. I must have laid there for a few hours, because I could feel the air becoming cooler. I frowned when a shadow fell over my face, and I opened my eyes. Standing over me, with his hair blowing around his face in the breeze, was Cedric Diggory.

"Okay, now I'm positive that you're stalking me," I said, rising up on my elbows.

"I'm not stalking you, I promise," he chuckled. I smiled and he glanced at me for a minute before his mouth curled up in a grin. I felt my heart flutter, it was the one where he smiled with one side of his mouth, making his features crinkle in amusement.

"Then what are you doing here?" I asked, sitting up and brushed away my bangs from my face.

He held up his broom. "Just gonna fly with a few friends," he explained, and I nodded.

"Oh, okay," I felt an uncomfortable silence spread, and gave a small smile. "Well, good luck,"

He grinned back. "Thanks,"

I sighed when he walked away. _What is wrong with me? Why do I behave like a babbling, bumbling baboon whenever he's around? _I watched as he joined the group of boys on the pitch. I'd never understood the fascination with flying, but that may have something to do with the fact that I could hardly walk across a flat surface without tripping over my own feet.

I spent the next half hour watching them from the Pitch entrance, following the yellow backs of the players as they flew through the air. My back was stiff after standing too long in one position, and I stretched my arms over my head, pulling out my joints. I heard howls and whistles from the pitch, and frowned when I noticed that the group was staring at me. I looked down and noticed that my shirt had ridden up, exposing my stomach. I tugged the shirt down and laughed to myself before going up towards the castle again. _What is the matter with boys when girls shows a bit of skin? _

It was almost dinner time, and I realized that I hadn't spoken to Tara since breakfast. As I entered the Great Hall I looked around, and smiled when I noticed her, waving frantically at me. I sat down in the seat she had saved for me, and turned to look at her.

"Did you have fun in Arithmancy?" I teased, reaching for various foods and loading them onto my plate.

She groaned, dropping her head in her hands. "Why did I take Arithmancy? It's only been one class so far, and Vector is already scaring everyone with the massive homeworks she's promised we'll have this year,"

I laughed. "I'm sure you're exaggerating,"

"I'm not, that's the scary part!" she drank of her pumpkin juice before looking at me with an excited look on her face. "Oh, I forgot to tell you," her voice dropped to a whisper. "Cedric Diggory asked me about you in Arithmancy this morning, wondered if you were taking that class,"

I was shocked, and my mouth gaped. If he knew that I didn't take Arithmancy, then why did he ask me? It had been an odd day to say the least. I'd run into to Cedric four times today! That was more than I'd ever spoken to him since we started at Hogwarts six years ago! Then I suddenly got angry. What did he want from me? Another giggling girl to go with his 'fan club'? There was no way that'd happen.

I ate my dinner in silence, listening to Tara as she rambled on about today's classes. Apparently, her last class, which was Divination, had let out at 4.30, and she had gotten some sleep before dinner because Trelawney had foreseen her death so many times during class that she felt haunted. I was so lost in thought I didn't notice that she'd stopped talking.

"Are you okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine,"

"Are you sure?" she looked concerned at me, and I kicked myself for lying to her. She was the closest friend I had.

"I'm sure. I've got a headache though, so I'm gonna go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow morning," I stood up and went down to the basement, towards the dormitories. My head was kept down, and so I didn't notice when I ran into, not one, but _two_ hard bodies. I looked up and saw the Weasley twins smile down at me. I smiled back, they'd always been nice to me.

"You should watch where you're going Roxley," Fred started, winking at me.

"We could have been someone mean," George filled in.

"Maybe a Slytherin student,"

"Or a ghost,"

"Well, if we'd been a ghost you wouldn't have crashed into us, but I've heard that going through a ghost gives a nasty feeling,"

I couldn't help but to laugh. "Sorry boys, I'll watch out more next time,"

"Hopefully there won't be a next time,"

"Cuz' if you bump into us again we'll turn you into a toad,"

"Or something disgusting,"

"And slimy,"

"I'll watch out then," I laughed. "See you tomorrow, bye." I continued to walk towards the dormitories, now silently laughing to myself. Those two really knew how to get you in a good mood.

I entered the common room, and noticed that awfully many people were there. It was still fairly early though, so that probably had something to do with it. I looked around, and noticed a familiar face in the crowd. _What the...How the hell did he get her before me? Didn't he eat after flying? _I only looked briefly at him, figuring it to be the best. As I walked down the tunnel that lead to my dorm, I could hear footsteps behind me, and a voice belonging to a person that I _did not _want to see.

"Ava, wait up!"

I stopped and sighed. _What did he want now? _I turned around to face him. I realized then that I'd never noticed how tall he was. He had to be at least 6 feet tall, maybe 6'1. That was a lot taller than my 5'8. "Hey Cedric." I greeted him, feeling my mouth curl up in a smile. It wasn't voluntary, but it seemed like I smiled whenever I was around him these days. It wasn't that I didn't _want_ to like him, but I couldn't help but to wonder why he was talking to me.

"I was wondering if you...uh, if you wanted to meet me for lunch tomorrow?" He looked really nervous, and actually stuttered a bit.

I was shocked. Was he asking me out on a date? "Uh, yeah, I mean, sure."

"What class do you have before lunch tomorrow?" he asked, a gleam in his grey eyes that I hadn't noticed before.

"I have Herbology,"

"I have free period, but maybe I could meet you by the greenhouses?"

I nodded. "Yeah, sure,"

"I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"See you tomorrow. Night," I gave one more smile before I turned around and continued to walk to the dormitory.

"Night," I could hear him call after me, and I tried very hard to wipe that stupid grin off my face. I got to the empty dorm and sat down on my bed, still pretty confused. Why had he suddenly taken an interest in me? I got ready for bed, and lay down, curling up to a ball and burying my face in my duvet. My mind drifted once again to Cedric, and felt frustrated with myself that I couldn't get him out of my mind. We'd been in the same class for six years for crying out loud, and he had never so much as given me a second glance, let alone talked to me. Then I remembered, that wasn't exactly true. My mind drifted to my fifth year, on the Hogwarts Express.

_Flashback_

"_We're gonna have so much to do this year, with the O.W.L's and all," __Tara, complained, and I agreed._

"_It'll be fine, you always think it's going to be harder than it is. That's how it was for me," Jane, a sweet sixth year from Ravenclaw said, and I smiled at her. Then the door slid open and Cedric Diggory stuck his head in._

"_We're there in about 10 minutes, so you should change into your robes," he said, looking at me as he said it. I noticed the gleaming Prefect badge on his robes, and smiled at him. _

"_Congrats on the Prefect badge," I said, and he gave a nervous smile. _

"_Thanks. How was your summer?" _

"_It was great, how was yours?"_

_"It was good," _

"_We should probably get dressed," Jane said, and Cedric flashed her a smile before leaving, closing the door behind him. _

_End Flashback_

I felt so confused by all of this, and I didn't know what to do. It felt like I was losing control of everything, and it made tears appear in my eyes. I heard the door open, and two giggling voices enter. I was glad my back was to the room, that way I could pretend to be asleep.

"He's so gorgeous," one of the girls said, and the other one giggled.

"I know! I wouldn't mind snogging him,"

Another giggle was heard. "Me neither! I had Arithmancy with him today,"

The girl gasped. "You lucky sod! Did you talk to him?"

"No. He spent the entire class talking to Tara Barnham,"

As I realized that they were talking to Cedric, I stopped listening, and tried to get some sleep. I had Double Transfiguration in the morning, and I knew I needed my rest. I blocked out all sounds and counted slowly down from 500, and soon I fell asleep.

--

I actually woke up before Tara the next morning, and hurried to the bathroom so that I could get the time I needed. I hopped in the shower and took my time, washing my hair and relishing in the warm water. When I was done I put on my robes and gathered my hair in a braid before walking out to the dorm again. One of the giggling girls from yesterday, Amanda, sat on her bed, putting on her make up in front of a compact mirror. She looked up when she heard me enter, and threw me an annoyed look before walking past me to the bathroom.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed my book bag before shaking Tara awake. While I waited for her to get ready I went down to the common room, where I saw a few female fifth-year's glaring at me. I could feel their stares in the 10 minutes I waiting for Tara, and it was creeping me out. What was their problem? Tara came down, and we went down together to eat breakfast. It went fairly uneventful, except for one poor Gryffindor student whose owl crashed in the butter.

"Okay, I'm off. See you later," I called and walked out of the Great Hall, eating an apple as I went. I realized then that I hadn't told Tara about my lunch date with Cedric, and figured she'd see at lunch.

Both my morning classes went so fast, I didn't have time to get nervous about having lunch with Cedric. My Herbology class was so demanding that I couldn't afford to have my thoughts elsewhere, and so I didn't grasp the situation fully until the bell rang for lunch. I gathered my books slowly, so slowly that Professor Sprout tried to hurry me along.

I walked out of the greenhouse slowly, only to see Cedric waiting not far away, his hands stuck in his pockets. He smiled at me and and I felt myself smile back. I walked up to him, nerves recking through me.

"Hi," I said when I was close enough for him to hear me, and felt my mouth curl up in a smile.

"Hi," he replied, smiling that damn _gorgeous _crooked smile. His eyes drifted to my book bag. "Here, let me take that,"

"You don't have to do that," I protested, but he took it from me anyway and hiked it up on his shoulder. _Damn, he's tall. _

"It's no big deal, really. Shall we?"

I nodded. "Yes, we shall,"

The walk to the great hall wasn't very long, but it felt like we were walking forever. I found myself stealing glances at him every other stride, and my face went red whenever our eyes met. We reached the Great Hall, and as we walked towards our table I could feel people staring for some reason. Cedric sat down at the end of the table, and I sat down next to him, giving him a small smile as I took back my book bag.

"Can I see your timetable?" he asked, and I handed it to him. He looked at it for a few seconds, comparing it to his own, and then a smile spread across his face. "We have the next class together," he stated and I looked surprised at him.

"We do?" I looked down at the timetables in his hands, and sure enough; Wednesday 1pm to 3pm; Double Potions.

We ate in a comfortable silence after that, and I was about to ask him why he'd asked me to lunch when a pretty Asian girl whom I recognized as the Seeker on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team came up to us. Her eyes were glued to Cedric.

"Hi Cedric," she said, and Cedric squirmed a bit in his seat.

"Hey Cho," he didn't sound very enthusiastic, and I wondered what the deal was.

"How was your summer?"

"Not bad,"

He cleared his throat and turned to me. "We should probably get going, potions starts in 10 minutes," he looked apologetically at Cho, who huffed and then walked back to her table.

"What was that about?" I asked, watching her as she went back to the table, sat down, and then shot me a dirty look.

"I helped her out once last year with some things, and she's been sort of stalking me ever since,"

"Why don't you just tell her to stop?"

"I don't want to be mean," he said and sighed. "We really should get to class,"

We walked slowly out of the Great Hall. We walked closely to each other, so close that our hands nearly touched. I felt like I was going to faint, or throw up or something. I still couldn't figure out what he wanted, and it was making me more confused than I'd ever been.

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Like it? Loathe it? Love it? Let me know.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I've been MIA since Thursday because our Internet connection went down, and it didn't come back on until earlier today. I don't have much to say about this chapter, except that please review, it really makes my day.**

**One thing though; I've come up with a (lame) reason why Cedric is 17 but still a 6th year, and it's pretty lame. But honestly I couldn't (can't still) come up with anything else.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.**

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**Falling at my own pace**

**Chapter 3**

The first Potions class of the year was hell. Not only did I sit beside Cedric, but I had a hard time concentrating with him so close that I would practically feel the heat coming from his body. This resulted in Snape giving me a hard time the entire class, and I was so frustrated that I nearly burst into tears when he gave us an 18 inch long essay on _Felix Felicis_ for tomorrow's class. When the class was over we walked out together, in silence.

"Are you doing anything now?" he asked as we walked the long hallway from the dungeon towards the common room.

"I'm going to the library, I've gotta do the Potions homework,"

"You want to do it together?"

_No! _I wanted to scream. _Because if I spend too much time with you I'm gonna go mad. _"Sure, why not. Two minds are better than one, right?"

He laughed, and the sound echoed on the damp walls. "Yeah, that's right," we changed our course to the library, and I still felt enormously confused and frustrated. When we entered the library, Cedric look the initiative of finding us a table. And as if God hated me, he chose a table that was in the back, pretty much secluded from the rest of the library.

I sat down opposite from him, opening my book and appearing busy. When I scooted my chair closer, I felt my knee bump into his and automatically my face went red. We worked in silence, only talking to ask each other questions about the essay. I was perfectly happy with that arrangement, it gave me time to think about this. I still didn't know what he wanted from me, and I didn't like that. I didn't like not being in control, never had. I was a bit of control freak, I admit it.

--

"There, I'm all done," I smiled and put down my quill at the table. Cedric looked up at me, dropping his quill too.

"I knew you could do it," he smiled, his grey eyes twinkling. The way he stared into my eyes was making me slightly uncomfortable, and I gave an embarrassed laugh.

"We should probably get to dinner, I promised Tara I'd eat with her," I said, and I thought I saw a flicker of disappointment in Cedric's eyes.

"Yeah, let's go,"

We packed up our stuff and walked down the four flights of stairs slowly. I was bothered by the lack of conversation, and tried to think of subjects to bring up. However, he beat me to it.

"Are you planning on entering the Triwizard Tournament?"

"No, I'm not. I don't turn 17 until January. How about you?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. I mean, I think so,"

"So you've already turned 17? Why are you a sixth-year then?" I asked as I hoisted my book bag higher on my shoulder.

"I don't know really. I think that I didn't show signs of magic until it was too late to start when I was 11, so I started a year later,"

"Oh, okay,"

"Would you enter if you were old enough?"

"I don't know. I don't think so. The whole competition thing isn't for me. Maybe that's why I'm not really into Quidditch,"

"That hurt," Cedric joked, and I playfully punched his arm.

"Hey, I've been on every Quidditch match since my first year thank you very much. It's school spirit after all, have to support our team,"

He laughed. "Spoken like a true Hufflepuff,"

I chuckled, enjoying the conversation as it left me with little room for thoughts. Thoughts I wasn't sure I wanted to have. The buzz from the Great Hall caught my attention both too early and too late. The sound of someone's running footsteps behind me meant little until that someone knocked into me, sending me flying forwards. _Okay, now I'm really going to die, _were the thoughts that went through my head as I watched the marble stairs coming closer and closer. Then, just like the day before, warm hands gripped my waist, preventing me from falling.

"You really have a knack for falling, don't you?" the words came with a chuckle as he pulled me upright again.

"I'm glad I amuse you," I winced as I rubbed my sore shoulder. The student that knocked into me had already disappeared into the Great Hall.

It was in that moment I became painfully aware of his hands on my waist, and the fact that I was practically smashed into his chest. He seemed to notice it too, and one of his hands left my waist and instead travelled up to my face. He pushed back my bangs behind my ear and then let his hand linger on my cheek. The moment our bare skins touched, I got thrown into a sea of emotions. It felt like I was drowning and being brought back to life all at the same time, like fire and ice racing through my body.

I took a deep breath, but regretted it right after when his scent filled my nostrils. His eyes glanced at my lips, and I realized what was about to happen. He leaned down slowly, and I felt my heart rate quicken.

"We should get to dinner," I breathed, and he seemed to shake himself from the daze. He stepped back and removed his hands, dropping them to his sides.

"Yeah, we should get to dinner,"

I walked ahead of him to the Great Hall, wondering what just had happen. _Was Cedric about to kiss me? Why would he do that? _

"Ava!" he called behind me, and I froze. I didn't dare turn around, fearing what I might feel once I saw him.

"Ava, over here!" Tara's voice came to my rescue, and I hurried over to where she was sitting, ignoring Cedric completely. I needed some time to think. I slumped down next to her with a grateful smile on my face.

"Hi! How was your day?"

"It was great! I'm defiantly looking forwards this year, and with the Triwizard Tournament and all,"

I laughed; she switched moods so often, she could be bipolar.

"How has your day been?"

I hesitated. Was this the place to tell her about Cedric? "I'll tell you later," I promised, and she looked confused at me, but didn't press the matter. Instead she began a very detailed description of her Ancient Runes class, which was a good way to distract me from my other thoughts. I tried to eat as slow as I possibly could, and it was nearly 7.30 when Tara and I walked out of the Great Hall, being amongst the last ones to leave.

The common room was packed with people as usual, and I spotted my roommates Amanda Harper and Louise Anderson over in one corner, reading something that looked like a horoscope. I'd never really gotten along with them, so sharing a room with them wasn't the greatest. Tara disappeared from my side and moved to one of the tables, where Jennifer Jordan, the fifth girl in our room, was sitting with some sort of homework.

Martin Garver and James Brandon, both in my year, was sitting and playing a game of wizard-chess, laughing loudly every time a chess piece would get smashed. Ethan Pratt and Ryan Austin, also in my year, sat on a sofa, just relaxing. They were joined soon by Cedric, whose laughter could be heard even over the other loud students.

His eyes met mine, and I looked at him for a second before turning away, steering my steps to the tunnel on the right, leading to my dormitories. I got ready for bed, changing into my plaid flannel pyjamas pants and tank top before washing my face and brushing my teeth.

I slipped into bed, laying down and closing my eyes; trying to get some sleep. After a few minutes though, it proved to be impossible. Instead, my thoughts drifted to Cedric, and what had happened today. I felt myself being more and more drawn to him, in a way that was almost eerie. I felt more alive than I'd ever done when he smiled at me, and it scared the hell out of me. I must have lay there for at least an hour, just thinking. Much to my dismay I felt tears appear in my eyes, and I turned my back against the room when I heard the door open.

"Ava? You awake?" Tara's whispering voice came, and I turned to look at her. When she saw the tears she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"What's wrong? Has something happened? Do I need to hex someone?"

I shook my head. "No, it's just..." I scooted over and pulled down the duvet, allowing Tara to sit down next to me. I reached forwards and pulled shut the heavy curtains, shielding us from the rest of the room. Grabbing my wand from the bedside cabinet, I pointed it at the curtains, mumbling '_Muffliato_' before dropping it back in it's rightful place.

"I feel so confused," I said, my voice cracking a bit. Tara just looked at me, urging me to continue. "For the past two days I've spoken more to Cedric Diggory than I have since we started school six years ago. He acts like we're friends or something,"

"You don't want to be friends with him?"

I hesitated. Did I want to be friends with him? An image of us appeared in my head. Sitting in front of the fire in the common room, his hands on my face as he drew me in for a kiss. "I don't know," I responded truthfully. I told her about all the little things that had happened, and most importantly; about the almost-kiss before dinner. I told her about how this whole thing made me feel, and about how scared I was.

"Maybe he likes you," she said comforting, brushing away a tear that had escaped from my eye.

I shook my head. "Not bloody likely. He's probably into girls like...I don't know. Pretty girls without a brain who giggles at everything he says,"

"Based on his behaviour the past two days; I'd say that he likes you. You just don't see yourself clear enough. You're beautiful, and you're smart, and any guy would be lucky to have you,"

I gave her a sad smile. "Too bad you're the only one who thinks so,"

She gave me a small smile. "Hey, don't be so negative. Just relax about this whole thing, and let it lead where it wants to. If it's right you'll notice,"

"I know. It's just..." I trailed off, struggling to find the right words. "I don't know, I just hope that I won't have to feel like this anymore,"

"It'll work out, I promise you. Do you want to sleep?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm knackered,"

She smiled and stood up. "Goodnight then,"

--

I spent the next two days avoiding Cedric. If I didn't have to see him, I wouldn't think about him, and my sanity would therefore be protected. It didn't help that I double Potions with him first thing Thursday morning, _and _that I had Charms with him right after. Luckily, Charms was the only class all of us Hufflepuff sixth-years had together, so I could to sit with Tara and Jennifer.

I discovered that it wasn't the classes that was difficult, but the rest of the time. By 3.30, all of my classes had ended, and I had approximately 6 hours to kill before bed time. I spent as much time as I could in the library, doing homework. And it seemed like my plan was working. The weekend proved to be more difficult, since there were no classes to distract me from Cedric. I'd only seen him twice since Wednesday, and very brief both times. However, when I'd met his eyes, I was shocked by how confused and hurt he looked. Did he not realize why I was avoiding him?

At night, I cried myself to sleep. The stress of everything finally got to me during those dark hours, and I often had to cast a 'muffliato' spell on my bed so that my roommates, especially Tara, wouldn't hear my sobs.

"Hey, are you done with that book?" Tara asked me Sunday evening as we sat in the library, studying.

I handed her the book without a word, and turned my attention back to my Herbology book. I looked through it absentmindedly for a few minutes, and then sighed. "I think I'm going to go to bed, I'm pretty knackered,"

Tara looked up at me. "Okay, give me a few minutes and I'll come with you,"

"Tara, I know you're not finished, so don't even try it. I can get to the common room myself,"

She smiled. "I guess. I probably won't be too long, though,"

I packed up my things and smiled. "See you later," I walked slowly along the long rows of aisles and book cases, just enjoying the silence. My worn out red converse made almost no sound against the cold marble floors, the only sounds being heard was my breathing and the song I was softly humming on.

"_And then I go and spoil it all, by saying something stupid like I love you,"_I sang to myself as I walked carefully down the stairs, as they switched places as I walked. When I'd reached the entrance hall, I saw someone standing by the flight of stairs that led to the basement. I squinted my eyes, trying to make out in the darkness who it was. It wasn't until I came closer that I recognized the familiar pose the person was standing in.

"Cedric, what are you doing here?"

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	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: New chapter up a bit early, I have a lot to do on both Thursday and Friday. This chapter is sort of the turning point of Ava's and Cedric's relationship. I don't have much else to say, other than please review, and I hope you like this :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.**

* * *

**Falling at my own pace**

**Chapter 4**

He looked up when he heard the sound of my voice. "Ava, hey,"

I approached him carefully, "What are you doing here?"

"Prefect duties,"

"Oh," I looked down at my shoes, trying to shake off the awkward feeling I got.

"You should get back to the common room, curfew starts soon,"

_Did he not want to talk to me? Had I hurt him that much with the avoiding thing? _"Okay, I will," I went to the stairs and paused on the first step, turning around. "I'll see you tomorrow,"

"Goodnight," he said, with a small smile, before disappearing up the marble stairs. I stood still for a few seconds, watching him as he went.

--

_The room was all white, down to the sheets on the bed that was standing in the middle__ of the room. I looked around, searching for something; but what, I didn't know. Two hands gripped my hips from behind, and a soft pair of lips kissed my neck. It was him, the one I had been looking for. My head fell back against his shoulder, and my hands covered his as they moved to my stomach. He continued to leave kisses up and down my neck, and I gripped his hands tighter when he found a sensitive spot. Needing to kiss him too, I spun around in his arms, and pressed my lips against his. He took my bottom lip between his lips and sucked on it, causing a moan to rip through my body. My hands found his hair and I gripped it tightly, holding him to me. My lips travelled down to his neck, kissing and nipping. He groaned, tightening his grip on my hips. I stepped back, hands raking down his chest, and looked up into a pair of grey eyes._

I bolted up in bed, my eyes wide in shock. It seemed like I couldn't even get my mind off Cedric in my sleep. I looked around and noticed that the others were still sleeping, so if must be early. I looked at my alarm clock, and sure enough; it was only 6.30. I got up and hopped in the shower, washing away the remains of my dream.

I was one of the first one in the Great Hall, only a few students were scattered amongst the four tables. I ate in silence, still thinking about my dream and the meaning of it. Was it true? Did I want him? Was that was the dream was trying to tell me? That I wanted him more than as a friend. Sighing, I tried to put my mind elsewhere, and I fished out my timetable from my bag and looked at it. Great, just my luck. I had two classes with Cedric today, both of them double. That meant that I was going to spend 4 hours in the same classroom as him. I was doomed.

I looked up when Tara sat down next to me, yawning and pushing her hair out of her face.

"Tired?" I asked, and she nodded, grabbing a croissant and putting jam on it.

"Mmh. I was up until midnight, finishing all my homework," she looked at me. "You look tired too. Did you get enough sleep?"

I nodded. "Yeah I did. Just some weird dreams, that's all,"

"Hopefully everything will work out," she had a knowing smile on her face, and I wondered what she knew that I didn't.

"Yeah, right," I continued to eat my breakfast, eating so much that I felt sick. "You done?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm done," we stood up and walked to the entrance hall, where we met up with Jennifer. Tara and Jennifer started talking about Divination as we walked up to the third floor, while I walked in silence. I didn't feel like talking. When we came to the classroom, the guys were already there, and I avoided looking at Cedric. I was lucky when the bell rung and the class started. The Slytherin's came as Flitwick opened the door, and I could therefore put some distance between me and Cedric.

I walked to my usual seat in the front, and sat down. I waited for Tara and Jennifer to sit down next to me, but instead a male voice was heard.

"Is this seat taken?"

I tensed. I knew that voice. I looked up, and saw that Cedric was standing next to me, looking hesitantly at me. "Uh, Tara and Jennifer sits here," I responded, it was the only thing I could think of saying.

"They're sitting in the back,"

I turned my head, and sure enough; Tara and Jennifer were sitting at a table in the back. If looks could kill, Tara would be a pile of ashes right now. But she only smiled sheepishly at me and mouthed 'sorry'. I sighed and turned back to Cedric.

"It's a free country," I snapped and then looked down at my books, ignoring him as he sat down next to me. Off course with my luck, we were doing an Aguamenti charm, and we were doing it _in pairs._ When the class was over, I nearly sprinted out of the classroom, and walked as fast as I could down to the first floor, where I had Defense Against the Dark Arts. I collapsed against the wall, leaning my head back and closing my eyes. I felt week to my knees, and took some deep breaths to calm myself down.

"Hey Roxley," came two voices on my right, and I opened my eyes. Fred and George were standing here, both of them smiling at me. Right, I'd forgotten that I had this class with the Gryffindor's.

"Hey," I smiled, and in that moment the bell rung. "Shall we?"

--

At lunch, I was a nervous wreck. My upcoming _double_ class with Cedric did nothing to calm my nerves. Tara tried to distract me by telling bad jokes, but gave up when I only stared at the plate in front of me.

"Ava, you have to eat something," she was worried, I know.

I took a bite out of my lamb cutlet. "Happy?" I asked, an eyebrow raised, and she laughed.

"That's nice Ava, really nice,"

I swallowed the abnormally large piece of meat, wincing as it slid down my throat. The coolness of my pumpkin juice was welcoming as I gulped it down, and I looked up when Tara knocked me on the shoulder.

"What?" I asked, bewildered. She motioned behind me, and when I looked, I nearly fainted. Cedric stood there, looking extremely nervous. He drove his hand through his golden brown hair, and I found myself wishing to be that hand. How very Shakespeare of me.

"I was wondering if I could walk you to class,"

I hesitated, but Tara answered for me. "Sure you can," she pushed me up from my seat and handed me my book bag. I took it from her and gave her a murderous glance when Cedric wasn't looking. The stupid girl only replied it with a smile. And as if it wasn't awkward enough, when we passed the Ravenclaw table, Cho gave Cedric a smile and a very enthusiastic smile. He bluntly ignored her, and I thought I saw her casting an evil glare in my direction.

Our history of magic class was...interesting. Professor Binns talked the entire class, and if I wasn't sitting next to Cedric I would have fallen asleep. Instead I sat with my right hand clenched under the desk while I took notes. I longer to reach out and touch him, but instead dug my nails into my thigh. You could practically reach out and touch the tension between us, and it was driving me mad.

When the class was over, I gathered my books and stood up. I could feel this eyes on me, and I knew that the moment I stepped out of the classroom, he'd talk to me. So I decided to play it more on my terms. Instead of going right, down the marble stairs towards the common room, I walked up a floor. I walked down the abandoned hallway, knowing perfectly well that he was right behind me. Feeling that I had to get this over with, I stopped. Turning around, my eyes found him at once. He was standing about two yards away, looking at me.

"Have I done something to upset you? You've been avoiding me since Wednesday,"

"How could you upset me, we barely know each other,"

"I'd like to get to know you,"

"What do you want from me?" I bit back, sounding harsher than I meant to.

"I want to be your friend," he took a few steps forwards, and then stopped.

"Just my friend?" I asked, remembering the almost-kiss last Wednesday. I took a careful step forwards, and I could read the confused emotion in his eyes.

"If that's what you want me to be,"

I hesitated. "What do you want?"

"I like you, more as a friend," he spoke the words slowly, as if he had to choose them carefully before speaking.

"I'm not going to be a part of your little fan club if you think that," it hurt me to say these things, but I had to know. I couldn't afford to get my heart broken, it would ruin everything.

"I don't want you to. I don't even like them," he took another step forwards.

"Then what do you want?" I felt my body move towards him, as if I on some subconscious were drawn to him. We were so close now that I could reach out and touch him if I wanted. And boy, did I want to.

"I want you,"

I had suspected it, but to hear it being said out loud was a completely different thing. I reached out to grab his hand, but changed my mind halfway there. His hand came up to meet mine, and as his palm met mine I felt my heart rate quicken and my breathing speed up. I laced my fingers together with his as I stepped in closer. I felt a desperate need to be close to him.

"So, where do we go from here?" he sounded insecure, like a little lost boy.

"I think we should just, do what feels natural,"

His smile was back, his beautiful crooked smile. "I think that sounds great. Do you want to go somewhere to talk?"

I grinned. "I know the perfect place.

--

We ended up in the middle of the Quidditch pitch, laying on our backs looking up in the sky. We were laying close to each other, our hands almost touching. We talked about everything under the sun. School, our likes and dislikes. For once, the conversation flowed between us, with only comfortable silences. But when I asked him about his family, he tensed up. I waited patiently for him to begin.

"My mum works as a healer at St. Mungos, and my father works for the Ministry, at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He's very proud of me, with my studies and Quidditch," he paused, running a hand through his hair. "He just puts a lot of pressure on me. It was his idea that I should enter the Triwizard Tournement,"

"Ced, you should enter because _you_ want to, not because your father wants you to. He's got every right to be proud of you anyway,"

He gave a half smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, and changed the subject. "What about your family?"

"My mom and dad met when dad was in New York, and they got married there. I have an older brother, Nick, who is 20. We moved to London when I was 8, and the rest you know," I paused, deciding how much to tell him. "My mother is a muggle, and my dad has sort of lain off magic. He works as a teacher at a muggle school, and he only uses magic to do house chores, which drived my mom crazy," I chuckled. "I guess he's kind of lazy in that way,"

"It must have been fascinating; growing up with the muggle world so close,"

I laughed. "I guess so. Though I'm so used to it, I barely think about it anymore," then I yawned.

"Am I boring you?" he teased, and I shook my head.

"No, I'm just tired," the reason for my tiredness came back to me, and I blushed. I lay my head gently on his shoulder, and felt myself fall asleep.

When I woke up, it was beginning to darken, and I looked up at Cedric. His eyes were closed, and it appeared he was sleeping. I began tracing his face very lightly with my fingertips. Over his forehead, down over his cheekbones, along his jaw, and finally, across his lips. I could feel the gush of air that came out of his nose with every breath he took, his lips twitching slightly. He was waking up, and I withdrew my hand quickly.

"Hey sleepyhead," I teased when he opened his eyes.

He gave a lazy smile. "Hey yourself. What time is it?"

I looked at my watch. "It's dinner time, so we should probably go," I stood up and straightened out my skirt before offering my hand to him. He grabbed it and hoisted himself up. I had balance on my heels when I pulled him up, and that resulted in me nearly being crashed into his chest as he stood up fully. He let go of my hand, and I immediately missed that feeling it gave me, and we started to walk up to the castle.

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**Like it? Loathe it? Love it? Let me know.**


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Change of plans in RL, so I was able to update for you guys today. Please notice that this story's rating has gone up to **M**. And when reading this, please remember that they're both teenagers, and don't give me any of that 'that's so OOC' crap. I know what I'm doing. Big, big, kudos to everybody who has reviewed/added to favourites/added to alerts. It means a lot that people are actually liking this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, only my original characters.

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**Falling at my own pace**

**Chapter 5**

The next morning when I woke up I felt unnaturally happy, and I had a big goofy smile on my face the entire time I was making myself ready for the day. Mine and Cedric's decision to just let things happen had lifted a huge weight of my shoulders, and I felt much lighter than I had before. Tara noticed my cheery behaviour, and teased me about it all the way down to the Great Hall.

The moment we entered, I looked around for Cedric, and felt my smile get bigger when I spotted him. He noticed me too, and he motioned for me and Tara to sit with him and his friends. Tara, ever the social girl, grabbed my hand and nearly dragged me up to the table. She sat down next to Ryan, leaving me to sit next to Cedric.

"Hey," I said shyly as I sat down, and he smiled.

"Hi,"

"He's been a stuck up git all week, I hope you can turn him back to normal," Ryan said. he and Ethan, who was sitting on the other side of him, laughed, while both Cedric and I went completely red.

"Ignore him, he's mental," Cedric told me, and I chuckled. We started to eat, and I was in the middle of eating a piece of bacon when I felt Cedric's hand slip into my own under the table. I felt a smile creep onto my face. His hand felt _right_ in mine, like it belonged there. His thumb stroke my knuckles gently, sending shivers down my spine.

"Okay, I'm off," Tara said and stood up, and Ryan and Ethan looked at her before doing the same. They all looked at Cedric who nodded his head slightly.

"You go ahead, I'm gonna walk Ava to class,"

Tara gave me a knowing smile and a wink before she left. Ethan and Ryan followed her, grimacing at us as they went. I chuckled before returning to my food.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, always the gentleman, and I nodded.

"I did, very well thank you. How about you?"

His cheeks turned slightly pink. "I slept wonderful, thank you," then he smiled, and graced my cheek with his hand. "Are you finished?"

I nodded again. "Yeah, are you?"

He nodded and we stood up, still holding hands. He grabbed my book bag and slung it over his shoulder along with his own before I had time to protest. When we walked past the Ravelclaw and Slytherin table, I swear I felt more than one pair of eyes burning on my back.

The walk up to the Transfiguration classroom on the second floor went by way to quickly, and I deliberately slowed my steps down when the door came into our view. Cedric chuckled when he realized what I was doing, and gave my hand a squeeze.

"I'll see you at lunch?" I asked, hopefully when we stood outside the door, and he gave me a toothy grin.

"I'll see you at lunch," he repeated, and handed me my book bag before pulling me into a hug. I leaned my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes and breathing in his scent. He pulled back, and gently touched my cheek. "Bye,"

Feeling daring, I reached up and softly kissed his cheek. "Bye,"

He grinned, even bigger this time, before making his way down the hallway and towards the Arithmancy classroom. I stood as frozen, the smile on my face so big it actually hurt my cheeks.

"Ms Roxley, come on we haven't got all day," came Professor McGonagall's voice, and I realized that eveybody already had gone in to the classroom. I went in and sat down next to Jennifer in the middle. She smiled at me.

"You look a bit flustered, are you feeling well?" she asked, her voice concerned.

I couldn't keep the smile off my face. "I've never been better,"

--

My classes went extremely slow, and I counted the minutes until lunch. When the bell rung I nearly bounced out of my seat, and was one of the first ones to leave the classroom. I smiled when I saw Cedric leaning against the wall, waiting for me.

I walked up to him, throwing my book bag over my shoulder. "Hi,"

"Hey," he smiled back, and I felt my heart skip a beat. _Him and his damn smile. _

Without a word, we started to walk down the hallway to the Great Hall. Our hands touched as we walk, and without hesitating I took his hand in mine, entwining our fingers.

Tara was already at the table when we entered the Great Hall, and she smiled when she saw us. She and Cedric discussed this morning's Arithmancy class when we ate, while our hands lay on top of the table; still clasped. Every now and then he squeezed it lightly, as if to reassure me that he hadn't forgotten I was there.

"Can you help me with the essay Vector gave us? I don't understand anything," Tara pleaded. Cedric hesitated. We had, in unspoken terms, agreed to spend the afternoon together. This time, _I_ squeezed _his _hand.

"You do that, I've got homework of my own,"

He smiled at me, and then turned to Tara. "Yeah, I'll help you. Are you finished?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm done. Ava, you finished?"

"Yeah, I'm all done,"

--

I had just finished my Herbolody homework two hours later when it happened. Tara asked me to get a book for her, and as the good friend I was; I did it. The particular book she was looking for was in a case that lay a bit off from the main library. You couldn't see the aisle unless you were standing right at the opening.

I was searching the titles when I felt a pair of hands on my waist. I tensed up until I recognized the touch, and a smile covered my face. I turned around, and came face-to-face with a smiling Cedric. His hair fell into his eyes, and I reached up to brush it away. He grabbed my hand on the way down, and kissed my palm. My heart rate sped up, his touch had that effect on me.

Grinning, I brought my other arm up around his neck, pulling him close to me. He let go of my other hand and wrapped his arms around my waist before stepping forwards, trapping me between the bookcase and his body. As his grip on my waist tightened, I brought one hand down to cup his cheek, stroking it softly.

He looked down at my lips and then looked back into my eyes, silently asking for permission. I nodded slightly, and a small smile grazed his lips for a second before he leaned in closer. My breath came out in short gasps, and the hand that was in his hair tightened it's grip.

His lips were so close to mine that I could practically feel them against my own. I closed my eyes in anticipation, and I could feel his breath on my face. I wanted this so much that I could almost taste it. Then, the moment I felt his nose touch mine, a voice interrupted us.

"What are you doing? This is a library!" came Madame Pince's voice from the end of the aisle, and we jumped apart. My face went beet red, and I nervously straightened out my sweater.

"We apologize, Madame Pince. It won't happen again," Cedric said, a smile on his face that was almost impossible to refuse. He grabbed my hand and we went back to the table, where Tara was waiting. She was looking awfully smug, and I reminded myself to question her later. We had just sat down when a voice was heard.

"Hi Cedric,"

All three of us looked up, and I felt myself getting annoyed.

"Uh, hey Cho," Cedric said, running a hand through his hair and looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Aren't you excited about the Tournament? I'm really excited, and I'm not even entering,"

He threw a quick glance at me before answering. "Yeah, I guess," he looked at me again, almost begging me to save him. I choked back the laughter that was bubbling up, and then spoke.

"Hey Ced, we should get going or we'll be late,"

Cho looked up at me for the first time, and shot me a murderous glare. "I'll see you later then Cedric," she said and batted her eyelashes before leaving.

"You know, I'm actually getting a bit nauseous," Tara said, looking after Cho, and I agreed.

"Are you coming?" Cedric said, picking up his books.

"Huh?" I frowned.

"We have that thing remember? You said so yourself, we'll be late,"

I gave a small laugh. "Right, now I remember," I packed my books and stood up, winking at Tara. "See you later,"

--

His arm was slung around my shoulder and my arm was around his waist as we walked down to the common room. We hadn't said a work since we left the library, but that was fine with me. It felt like we didn't have to talk, we could just be. I realized that I could, if I wasn't careful, fall in love with him and the thought of it made my stomach fill with butterflies. When we came to the portrait hole, he stoppd me before I could give the password.

"Do you realize that technically we've only known each other for a week?"

"No, technically we've known each other for six years," I shrugged. "We just haven't talked much," I smiled big, but was bothered by the troubled look on his face. "What?"

"Doesn't that scare you? That we're so...close, and we haven't known each other _well_ that long?"

"It does scare me a bit," I admitted. "But it's the good kind of scary. The I-can't-believe-that-this-is-happening-to-me kind of scary," I sounded cheerful, and he laughed.

"Ava, I want to apologize for my behaviour in the library, I shouldn't have done that,"

"Ced, relax. I wanted you to," I paused and looked down at my shoes, suddenly embarrassed. "Since we were interrupted before anything _really _happened, I still kind of want you to," I looked up at him from under my lashes, and was shocked to see that his jaw was locked tight. "Cedric?"

"I want to, you know I do. But, I'm sort of new at this thing, and I want to do it right," he caressed my cheek. "You understand right?"

I nodded. "I understand. But if you don't kiss me within the next 48 hours, I am going to pounce on you. You're really testing my self control,"

He laughed. "You're testing mine too, more than you know,"

"Shall we seal it with a kiss?" I winked.

"Why not," he shrugged and brought my hand up to his mouth, kissing my knuckles. "Sealed with a kiss."

--

That night I dreamt of Cedric. About me and Cedric. About things that, in the harsh light of day, made me blush. It was raining outside, and the ceiling in the Great Hall was grey, which made me depressed.

"Hey, you okay?" Cedric asked, rubbing my shoulder, and I blushed when it reminded me of my dream. Tara was watching me with an amused look on her face, as if she knew exactly what was going on.

"Um, yeah, I'm fine. Just..." I cleared my throat. "Weird dreams," Tara covered up her laughter with a fake cough, and I glared at her. Cedric looked confused at us. "I'm gonna run, I don't want to be late. Meet me in the entrance hall later?" I adressed the last to Cedric, who nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be waiting," he kissed my knuckles, and I ruffled his hair in reponse. I blew him a kiss as I walked towards the door, and smiled when I heard his melodic laughter.

Transfiguration class was a bore as usual, although McGonagall seemed to be in a good mood. She didn't even give us as much homework as she usually did. It was still raining when I went to Herbology, and I ran as fast as I could towards the greenhouses, my bag over my head to protect me from the rain.

"Okay class, I'll see you on Friday," Professor Sprout said at the end of the class, and everybody started leaving. I could see that it was still pouring outside, so I ran to the entrance hall as fast as I could. When I came inside I put up my wet hair in a ponytail to keep it away from my face, and looked around for Cedric. I spotted him standing by the doors to the Great Hall, looking at me. I rushed over to him, ignorant of the students around us, and he met me halfways. He picked me up and spun me around in the air, my laughter filling the air. When he finally put me down I was a bit dizzy, and I held on to his upper-arms to keep me steady.

"Hi," I smiled big, and he gave a big smile himself.

"Hey. You hungry?"

I nodded. "Famished. Let's go,"

* * *

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	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry for the late update, but RL has been a bitch to me lately. Again, I don't have much to say about this chapter, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.

* * *

**Falling at my own pace**

**Chapter 6**

After our Potions class we settled down in the common room, just relaxing. Cedric was half-laying on the couch and I was curled up against his chest, my head on his shoulder. His fingers were drawing lazy circles on the stripe of skin between my shirt and my skirt, and I felt like I was going to spontaneously combust if I didn't get to kiss him soon. Knowing very well that I wanted to do this in private, I stood up and offered him my hand.

"Come on," I smiled and he sat up, laughing.

"Ava, what are you doing?"

I didn't answer him, instead I pulled him to his feet and dragged him through the portrait hole. We went up the stairs to the entrance hall, and then continued the marble stairs up to the third floor. I was walking so fast I'm surprised I didn't trip.

Once we were in the abandoned hallway Cedric realized what I was planning, and a grin covered his face. He pushed me up against the wall and put his hands on my hips, kneading the flesh softly. I grabbed him by his collar, pulling him down closer to me.

"No interruptions this time," I said, a smile tugging on the corners of my mouth.

"No interruptions," he smiled, and then leaned down and pressed his lips against mine.

_Finally, _my mind screamed as my eyes fluttered close, and I let go of his shirt to thread my fingers in his hair. This was by far the best thing I had ever felt, and I stepped in closer to him, pressing the length of my body against his. I felt his tongue trace my bottom lip, asking for entrance, and I opened my mouth to him. The moment his tongue touched mine, my knees wobbled and if I hadn't been hanging on to him, I would have fallen to the floor. Scratch my previous statement; _this_ was the best thing I'd ever felt. I was glad my first kiss was with him; I wouldn't have it any other way.

I felt my lungs burn with the lack of air, but I didn't want to part from him, so I ignored it. Only when I felt light-headed did I pull away. I rested my forehead against his and took the deep breaths my lunged screamed for. A ridiculously big grin covered my face, and when I opened my eyes I saw that a similar one was on his lips.

"Wow," I breathed, looking into his eyes.

"That is the word I'd use to describe it, yeah,"

I gave him another kiss, a soft one. "So, are we making things official?" He pretended to think about it, and I slapped his chest. "You're such a git,"

He chuckled and pulled me in for a kiss. I tried to deepen it, but he pulled away. "Yeah, we're making it official," he pressed his lips against mine again. I beamed, a huge grin still on my face. I tried to stop smiling so that I could kiss him properly, but couldn't.

--

"Hey, will you two stop it! I'm losing my appetite, and it's dinner time!"

We broke apart and looked at Ryan, who was looking at us with a disgusted look on his face. Cedric and I was sitting on one of the couches in the common room, kissing. I was sitting sideways in his lap, my arms around his neck, fingers tangled in his hair. One of his arm was around my waist, the other one rested on my knee.

"Mind your own business," Cedric said, and I smiled, biting my lower lip. He looked at me, and sighed. "But he's right, we should get down to dinner,"

I hopped off his lap and he stood up. His hair was a mess from my fingers, and I laughed before reaching up to smooth it out a bit. I was sure my lips were swollen from all the kissing, but I couldn't seen to care. We went out the portrait hole and down towards the Great Hall, Ryan walking a bit ahead of us, mumbling something about 'bloody teenage hormones'. Cedric's arm was slung around my waist, his fingers grazing my hipbone. I liked it, it made me feel safe and protected.

Both Tara and Jennifer were already eating when we came in, and Tara gave me a look that said 'tell me everything later'. The dinner conversation revolved mostly around homework and the Triwizard tournament, and I felt like a big knot in my stomach when Ryan and Cedric started to talk about what kinds of tasks the champions may face. I had heard about the tournament from my dad. People had been killed, and it tested you gravely both magically and emotionally. When we were all finished, Cedric and Ryan walked ahead of us to the entrance hall. The moment they were out of earshot, Tara and Jennifer turned to me, looking extremely curious.

"Okay, spill,"

"We're official," I said simply, and they squealed.

"Tell us everything. Is he a good kisser?"

My cheeks went red, and I nodded. "He's amazing,"

The entrance hall was filled with students, but I still had no problem spotting Cedric. It was with whom I spotted him that made my blood boil. Cho was talking to him, flipping her hair and batting her eyelashes. Cedric's whole body was rigid, and his fists were clenched. I walked over to him, and when he spotted me he gave a smile of gratitude. I held out my hand to him and he pulled me in for a kiss. I looked at Cho, who was so angry she was practically boiling.

"Hey Cho, do you mind? Ced and I have a few things we need to do,"

She huffed, and stalked away, looking like she might punch someone.

"I'm actually glad you told her off, she's was starting to scare me for real,"

I chuckled. "She deserved it,"

"I'm not going to argue with you about that," he smiled. "Now, what was it we needed to do?"

I smirked. "You'll see, come on,"

--

The news of our relationship spread like a wildfire throughout the school the next week. It most definitely had something to do with the fact that Cedric was the Quidditch captain, and over all a popular guy. I wouldn't be surprised if two thirds of the school couldn't point me out in a line up. Before now, that is. Anywhere I went it seemed like the topic was our relationship.

"God, can't people just get a life?" I groaned as I sat down next to Cedric in the library on Thursday afternoon. I leaned my head on his shoulder and sighed.

"What's happened now?" He asked, rubbing my back in soothing circles.

"I sat behind two girls in Transfiguration who discussed our relationship pretty open. Apparently, you're _dreamy_ and _too good _for me_._ Their words, not mine,"

He chuckled. "Well, I disagree with that. You're not the only one who's heard about it,"

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I've heard from at least 10 different blokes how _hot_ you are, and how they'd like to _snog _you,"

I nearly burst out laughing. "Me, really? You must have heard it wrong,"

"Yeah, you. You might not have realized it, but you're quite the catch," he winked at me, and I had to laugh. "They were wrong about one thing though,"

"What?"

"You're not hot, you're beautiful,"

I blushed at his words. He did know how to make me feel special. I'd rather be called beautiful than hot any day. Stroking his cheek gently I brought my mouth down on his for a kiss. His lips were soft and sweet against mine, and neither one of us moved to deepen the kiss.

"Have you thought more about the tournament?" I asked when we had broken apart.

He nodded. "I have. I want to enter,"

I had known in the back of my head that he wanted to, but it felt more real when he said it out loud.

"Are you okay with that?" he said carefully.

"Off course, I am. Did you expect anything else from me?" I paused for a second to run a hand through my hair before continuing. "I'm gonna be sick with nerves if you get selected, but off course I support you. Only one thing matters; do you think you can do it?"

He nodded. "Yes,"

A smile covered my face. "Then I think you can do it,"

He smiled. "Good. I was a bit worried there for a second actually,"

"Don't be. Now, will you please help me with my Herbology homework?"

--

As the weeks pasted by, mine and Cedric's relationship only grew more intense. The hours that wasn't filled with classes or doing homework we spent together, either sitting and talking or kissing. I told him things about myself that I had never told anyone else but Tara. and in return, he shared with me some of his deepest secrets and fears. When we moved in on October the weather took a turn for the worse, and the cold and rain was keeping us inside the castle on our breaks.

"This is extremely depressing," Tara said as we sat in the common room. The rain was pouring down outside, as it had been doing all day.

"I agree," I sighed and snuggled further into Cedric's chest. He kissed the top of my head, and I smiled.

"Okay, I'm gonna head off to bed, see you tomorrow," Tara smiled and left.

"Goodnight,"

The common room was completely empty now, except for us. It was nearly midnight, so it made sense. It was Friday, a week before the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons would arrive, and Cedric and I had not spoken any more about the tournament.

"Ava?"

"Mmh?"

"The tournament starts for real next week,"

I looked up at him. "I know. I'm starting to feel it in my stomach," I squeezed his hand. "I'm still here for you, you know that right?"

He nodded, a slight smile on his lips. "I know,"

I smiled and moved up to kiss him. It deepened quickly, and I could still taste the coffee he had for dinner on his tongue. I cupped his check and pressed myself against him harder. He nibbled slightly on my lower lip, and a low moan rose from the back of my throat. I shifted my legs so that I was straddling him, threaded my fingers in his hair and pressed myself as close to him as I possibly could.

His hands settled on my hips, pulling me down against him and he groaned. The feeling of him against me was divine and I moaned against his mouth. His lips trailed down to my neck, planting wet, open mouth kisses on the skin and I gasped. My back arched into his chest and my eyes flew open as he found the sensitive spot behind my ear and nibbled slightly on the skin. My hands slid down to his chest and I clutched the fabric of his sweater hard.

"Cedric," I said breathlessly as his lips went down to my exposed collarbone. I wanted him, I wanted him so bad. But I knew that I wasn't ready, so I needed to put a stop to this before it got out of hand. "We should stop,"

He placed one last kiss to my collarbone and then stopped, leaning his forehead against my shoulder. My hands slid up to his hair again, and I stroked it softly. As our breathing returned back to normal he looked up at me. His eyes were dark with desire and a small smile tugged on the corner of his mouth.

"You are amazing," I breathed, and his arms slid around my waist.

"You're the amazing one," he argued and gave me a soft kiss. I smiled against his lips and then pulled back. I suddenly became _aware_ of the fact that I was straddling him, and blushed a deep scarlet. In the heat of the moment I hadn't realized it exactly _what _I was doing, just going on instincts.

"I think I'm going to head off to bed, I'm tired," I said, stifling a yawn and he nodded.

"I shouldn't keep you up so late, I'm sorry,"

I chuckled and stroked his cheek. "You're not keeping me up late, I'm staying up at my own free will," I gave him a slow, sweet, agonizing kiss and then stood up. "Goodnight,"

He smiled. "Goodnight. Meet me here at 10 tomorrow?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I will," I walked towards the dorm to go to sleep, and needless to say, I took a very long, cold shoulder before going to sleep.

* * *

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	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I've lost count how many times I've updated this past week, but I was bored and this chapter was already written, so I figured I'd award you with a new chapter :) I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.

* * *

**Falling at my own pace**

**Chapter 7**

"Guess who?"

I tried to keep the smile off my face, and covered the hands with my own before removing them from my face. "I know it's you," my smile turned bigger when Cedric sat down next to me, his robe and hair wet from the rain. I gave him a small kiss. "Hey."

"Hey. What are you doing?"

"Just reading a bit," I closed my worn copy of _The Collector _and moved closer to him. "What time is it?"

"It's almost 5," he replied, and a grin covered my face.

It was still an hour left until the foreign students were coming, and I knew exactly how I wanted to spend it. It seemed like Cedric had some sort of magical power over me, and my body longed to kiss him. Unfortunately, the common room was filled with first-year students, and I didn't want to scar them. Besides, Cedric was a prefect, and no matter what anyone might think, he wouldn't grope me in a room full of kids. Luckily, he seemed to realize exactly what I was thinking about, because he stood up and offered me his hand.

"Come on,"

I did as he asked, and was mildly surprised when he guided me to the corridor that led to his room. Since he was a prefect, he got a private room; and that was becoming _extremely _handy. He closed and locked the door behind us, and led me to his bed, threw his robe on the floor and then spun around to face me, a grin on his lips. I put my book on his bedside cabinet and then threw myself in his arms, pressing my lips against his.

He held me close to him as the kiss deepened, and I pushed him back against the bed. He sat down and I stepped in between his legs, neither one of us breaking the kiss. I crossed my arms in front of me and pulled my sweater up, breaking away from the kiss so that I could pull it over my head. I threw it on the floor next to his robe and then continued to kiss him. I straddled his lap, and felt one of his arms grip my waist tightly.

Before I knew what was happening, I was on my back with him hovering over me. I worked to get his sweater off him, and he had to sit up slightly to throw it over his head and onto the floor. I grinned and grabbed a hold of his necktie, pulling his mouth down to mine again.

My legs automatically fell open, and he nestled in between them. His hands caressed my sides, up and down, until they moved to unbutton my shirt. I helped him, not once breaking away from the kiss, and soon my shirt and necktie joined my sweater on the floor. Now I lay before him in nothing but my skirt, tights and a white bra.

He broke off the kiss and looked down at me. "You're beautiful," he mumbled and I felt my cheeks flush red. I pulled him down for another kiss and a wave of pleasure ripped through my body when he started to move his lower body against mine. I pulled my mouth away from his as a moan tore through my throat.

His lips trailed down my neck and to my collarbone, placing light kisses there and occasionally nibbling the skin. My hands moved from his hair and down to his chest, pulling his shirt out from his pants. My fingers worked rapidly on the buttons, and soon I pushed the shirt down over his shoulder. He pulled it off along with his necktie and threw it with the rest of our clothing as my mouth found his again. He supported his weight on one of his elbows while the other hand went to my thigh, under my skirt.

I could feel him press against my center, and I moaned when the seam of his pants hit me just right. We were moving in an endless rhythm, the only sounds filling the air was our gasps and groans. I could feel myself getting closer to my peek, and we moaned simultaneously, the sound being muted by our mouths.

My hands moved to his back, and I dug my nails into the skin. I was getting closer and closer with every grind of our hips, and as he moved his lips to my neck I knew that I just needed one small push to send me over the edge. He bit down slightly on the base of my neck, and it was enough.

"Cedric!" I cried out in ecstasy, and I heard him follow me soon after. As we came down from our high I looked up at him, stroking his sweaty hair out of his face. He smiled slightly down at me, and pulled me in for a soft kiss. Then, someone knocked on the door.

"Um, I don't know if I'm interrupting anything, but I just wanted to let you know that it's 20 minutes to 6, so you should get going," Tara left, and I felt a blush creep onto my face.

"We should get going," he said, and sat back on his heels. I sat up too, and noticed for the first time that he was shirtless, and my eyes roamed over his bare chest and stomach. His muscles were flat and hard from Quidditch training, and I reached out a hand to touch him. He was warm, and my fingers slid over his muscles smoothly. When I came to his lower stomach he hissed, and grabbed my hand. "Remember, we have to go," his crooked smile was back, and I felt a smile of my own form on my face.

"You're beautiful,"

"You're beautiful too,"

He reached down on the floor and grabbed our discarded clothing, putting it on the bed. When we were both fully clothed, I suddenly remembered something, and blushed.

"I should leave you alone for a little while. Give you some time to clean up,"

He nodded. "I'll meet you in the common room in 10 minutes?"

"Yeah," I gave him a soft kiss and then left his room. The common room was full with people anxious to go down and meet the other students, and I slipped past them as quietly as I could. I went into my dorm and went straight to the bathroom, looking at myself in the mirror. My hair was all over the place, my face was flustered and my lips were swollen. As I brushed my hair and put it up in a ponytail, I noticed a purple-ish mark on my neck, and gasped. _He gave me a hickey! _

Cedric was already there when I came down to the common room a few minutes later, and I felt my heart skip a beat. He smiled when he saw me, and the moment I was close enough, I gave him a kiss. He wrapped an arm around me, and we started to walk down to the entrance hall. I nervously smoothed down my hair to cover my neck, and leaned up to whisper in his ear.

"You gave me a hickey,"

He chuckled and whispered back. "You scratched my back, so we're even,"

I blushed at his words, even though I felt a small sense of pride. We had marked each other, like we belonged together. It felt like we did though, and I couldn't help but to snuggle deeper into his side.

--

When we came to the courtyard we spotted the rest of the Hufflepuff sixth-years, and made our way over to them. The mood was light with all the students, and teachers were cruising in and out of student groups, giving instructions and making sure that everything was perfect for the arrival of the students. The cold October air sent shivers down my spine, and when Cedric noticed he opened up his robe to me. I snuggled in deep and he closed the robe over us.

"Shouldn't they be here soon?" Ryan asked impatiently, looking around.

"I hope so, I'm freezing my bloody arse of," Ethan replied, pulling his robe closer to his body.

"You warmer now?" Cedric asked me softly, and I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm warmer now," he kissed the top of my bed and I wrapped my arms around his waist.

Then, the voice of Albus Dumbledore came from the back row, where was was standing with the rest of the teachers. "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

A buzz went through the students, everybody wondering where they were coming from.

"There!" Ryan yelled and pointed at the Forbidden Forest.

"What is that?" I asked, and turned around in Cedric's arm so that I could see better. A large object, much larger than a broomstick, came soaring through the darkblue skue in the direction of the castle. It looked like a flying house or something, but that couldn't be it. Could it?

Different guesses flew through the air, and I laughed when Ethan suggested a flying saucer. When it came closer though, we could see that it was a horse drawn carriage, as big as a house. I paid little attention to the students, I was freezing so much I was shaking. Cedric looked concerned at me.

"I'm fine," I pressed out a smile even though my teeth were chattering. "I just wish that the other students would come soon so that we can so inside."

"Blimey, that's one big woman,"

I looked up to see the Headmistress of Beauxbatons, and to continue looking up. She was huge! She was at least 7 feet tall, and carried herself with a grace and elegance that made her seem taller. She exchanged a few words with Dumbledore, and then she and her students went in to the entrance hall. I envied them. A few minutes passed without any sign of the Durmstrang party, and I started to think that they'd never come.

"The lake!" yelled Lee Jordan, pointing at it. "Look at the lake!"

A ship had risen from the dark water, and I strained my neck to get a better look at it. It had a strangely skeleton look about it, and it reminded me about a ghost ship. The sound of a plank hitting the bank was heard, and I saw the silhouettes of people leaving the boat. They were wearing fur coats, so I guessed that wherever their school lay, it was cold. As the students walked past us, Ryan's eyes got wide.

"Guys – it's _Krum,_"

Several other students seemed to notice this too, and it was the thing most people talked about as we were _finally _allowed to go inside. I felt my limbs defrost, and I stepped out from underneath Cedric's robe.

We sat down at our table in the Great Hall, and I noticed that the students from Durmstrang sat down with the Slytherins while the Beauxbatons students were seated at the Ravenclaw table. Dumbledore held a short welcome speech, and then invited everyone to start eating. A girl from Beauxbatons walked passed our table with a pot of something in her hands, and almost every guy turned to look at her.

"They certainly don't make them like that at Hogwarts," Ryan said, whistling low, and Tara smacked his arm.

"Hey," I protested, and Cedric wrapped an arm around my waist.

"I think they make them great at Hogwarts,"

Ethan snorted. "Yeah, just because you got one of the best-looking girls in our year," laughter broke out amongst our small group as my cheeks flushed.

When the feast was finished Dumbledore stood up once more, and started to speak. He explained everything about the tournament, and I could see Cedric listen intently. I leaned back against his chest and covered the hand on my stomach with my own, stroking his knuckles softly.

"...Now I think it is time for bed. Goodnight to you all," Dumbledore finished, and people started to rise from their seats.

"Any of you lot going to put your name in?" Ethan asked as we walked down the stairs towards the common room.

"I am," Cedric said, tightening his grip on my hand.

"Me too," Tara smiled. "I'm not going to get any sleep tonight,"

"Me neither," I agreed. Already my stomach was in tight knots, and I knew that it would get worse in the morning.

When we came to the portrait hole, Ethan gave the password and we entered. It was packed with people, and both Cedric and I was drawn into a conversation about tomorrow by a group of fourth-year students. After about half an hour, I excused myself from the conversation and went to join Tara and Jennifer at a table.

"How are you feeling?" Tara asked, smiling kindly at me.

"Nervous, worried, and sick to my stomach," I answered truthfully.

"It's gonna work out," Jennifer said, her words comforting.

"I hope so," I sighed and looked over at Cedric. He was laughing, still deep in conversation with the fourth-years. "You know what, I'm gonna head off to bed. I'll see you in the morning," I stood up and went to the corridor that led to my dorm. I was almost at the door when a voice stopped me.

"Ava, wait,"

I turned around and smiled slightly when Cedric came to a halt in front of me. "I'm going to bed,"

"Were you really going to go to bed without telling me?" he smiled and leaned down to kiss me before I could say another word. I pressed myself hard against him, pouring every fiber of my being into the kiss.

"Goodnight," I smiled when we broke apart. "I'll meet you in the common room at 9, okay?"

He nodded, grinning he too. "Meet you at 9. Goodnight," one last kiss, and then he left.

* * *

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	8. Chapter 8

A/N: This chapter is a bit short, but to make up for it I'll try to post the next chapter on Saturday :) I want to thank everybody who has reviewed, it really makes my day :) Another thing that would be great is if I could get 5 reviews for this chapter, it will make me happy and get chapters out quicker.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters

* * *

**Falling at my own pace**

**Chapter 8**

When we came down to the Entrance Hall the next morning, we saw that about 20 students were there, all of them examining the Goblet of Fire. Cedric eyed it for a second, but walked past it.

"I'll do it after breakfast," Cedric said, before leading me into the Great Hall. I sat down next to him, and when I placed my hand on his chest, I could feel his racing heartbeat.

"Relax," I coaxed, trying to calm him down, and pressed my lips to his softly. He smiled against my mouth and ran a hand through my hair.

"Can't you two lay off each other for breakfast at least?" came Ethan's voice, and I broke off the kiss to look at him.

"Sod off," I sneered and dug in on my breakfast. I realized that my support mattered to Cedric, and tried to act as if I wasn't worried. Still, I held his hand tightly all through the meal. Tara and Jennifer sat down with us, a huge smile on Tara's face as she started to eat her breakfast.

"Aren't you excited? I'm so excited," she babbled on for a few minutes, and I spaced out. I looked around the Great Hall and saw Angelina Johnson, the chaser on the Gryffindor Quiddith team, join her friends while smiling big. I'm guessing she had just put her name in the Goblet of Fire.

"Are you ready?" Cedric whispered in my ear, and I looked up at him.

"Yeah, I'm ready,"

We went towards the door, the rest of our group joining us, and as we went by the Gryffindor table, a voice was heard.

"Yeah, better you than Pretty-boy Diggory,"

The others scowled at the guy that had said it, but I only pressed myself closer to Cedric and stroked his knuckles in a comforting matter.

"Ignore him, he doesn't know you,"

He didn't say anything, only squeezed my hand. The entrance hall was as crowded as before, and he took a deep breath before taking out a note from his trouser pocket. _Cedric Diggory – Hogwarts_, it read in his neat, cursive writing, and I smiled.

"Go on, put it in!"

A huge grin spread across his face, and he let go of my hand before walking confidently up to the Goblet of Fire and putting his name in it. A loud cheering noise came from the Hogwarts students in the entrance hall, and I felt a huge grin spread across my lips. He came back to us, and swept me up in his arms planting a huge kiss on my lips. Tara was the next one to put her name in, and she did it with a big grin on her face. I smiled at her and gave her a hug. I was really hoping that either Cedric or Tara made it, they both deserved it.

--

The rest of the day seemed to go by extremely slowly, doing homework wasn't an option, I couldn't concentrate enough. Instead, I spent the day in the common room with Cedric, who was in a much better mood now that his name was in the goblet.

"Who do you think will be our champion?"

"You, off course," I smiled. He laughed and pulled me onto his lap, wrapping his strong arms around me. My affection for him had grown stronger and stronger over the past month, and I couldn't imagine my life without him. I felt more comfortable with him than I had with anyone else in my entire life, and on some level it scared me.

It started to rain slightly in the mid-afternoon, and I sighed as I looked out the window. The weather was depressing. I smiled when I felt Cedric's hand move my hair aside from my neck, and plant light kisses there. I giggled, actually _giggled_, and turned around to face him.

"You're gonna give me another hickey," I whispered, leaning forwards so that my hair shielded our faces from the room.

He grinned crookedly, my favourite smile. "I don't care," he continued to plant light kisses up and down my neck, nearly driving me insane.

"You better stop doing that or I'm going to ravish you," I breathed out, clutching his hand hard as a wave of pleasure went through my body when his lips found a sensitive spot.

He pulled away and looked up at me. "Is that a threat, Ms Roxley?"

I grinned, leaning in close. "No Mr Diggory, that is a promise," I closed the small gap between us and kissed him hard, my hands going up into his hair as he started to kiss me back. Before our kissing could turn into a full blown make out session though, Tara's voice broke through.

"Come on, it's time to get downstairs,"

--

The meal seemed to go slower than usual, and I waited impatiently for Dumbledore to finish eating so that we could get the results. Cedric was clutching my hand hard, nervous. Finally, the golden plates were cleared, and Dumbledore stood up. He spoke for a moment about the champions, and then lightly dimmed the light with his wand. The Goblet's dancing flames turned red, and sparks flew out of it as the long flame shot up, and a piece of parchment fluttered from it. Dumbledore grabbed it from the air, and held it at arm's length.

"The champion for Durmstrang," he read in a strong, clear voice, "will be Viktor Krum,"

"No surprise there!" Tara yelled, struggling to make herself heard over the cheers and applauds that had erupted. I watched as Krum disappeared in the direction Dumbledore had said the champions were to go through. After about a minute, a second piece of parchment flew out of the Goblet, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," Dumbledore said, "is Fleur Delacour,"

A blonde, pretty girl stood up from where she and her classmates were sitting, a big smile on her face. When she, too, had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The knot in my stomach grew larger, both with nerves and anticipation. As the Goblet's flames turned red once again, I was practically bouncing in my seat.

"The Hogwarts champion," he called, and the Great Hall was so silent you could hear a needle drop. "is Cedric Diggory,"

An uproar was heard, every single Hufflepuff student had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stomping. Cedric's smile was the biggest one I'd ever seen on him, and he pulled me in for a long, hard kiss before making his way to the side chamber. My smile was almost as big as his; he really deserved this. It took almost 10 minutes for everybody to quiet down so that Dumbledore could make his voice heard.

"Excellent," he called happily, while I turned to look at Tara.

"I'm sorry you didn't get it," it probably looked a bit odd, I was still grinning like an idiot.

"It's okay," she shrugged, smiling. "Cedric's probably better for it anyway," then she looked past me, and a frown appeared on her face. "Is it supposed to do that?"

I turned around, and saw that the flames had once again turned red. The silence was almost eerie as a single piece of parchment flew out from the flames, landing in Dumbledore's hand. He stared at it, and after a long pause he cleared his throat and read out –

"_Harry Potter,"_

--

After Harry, who looked like he was about to throw up, had gone to join the other champions, Dumbledore rushed us all off to bed, even though I didn't think that anyone from Hufflepuff was going to sleep anytime soon. Ethan and Ryan somehow got their hands on tons of snacks and drinks from the kitchen, and the common room was swamped with people. I was waiting anxiously in front of the portrait, almost bouncing with anticipation.

The same second Cedric stepped into the common room, I threw myself at him. My arms went around his neck as I kissed him passionately. When we broke apart he smiled crookedly, and a big grin formed on my lips. I was about to kiss him again when he was swept away by multiple hands, everyone cheering and congratulating him.

I spent the rest of the night by his side, his arm comfortably around my waist as the party went on. A grin was permanently stuck to my face, and every now and then I leaned up to kiss him. The night went by fast, and it was almost 3 a.m when the first students started to go to bed.

"Well, this was eventful," Cedric said, lightly drawing circles on my knee as I sat in his lap on the couch. I leaned my head on his shoulder and snuggled closer to him, feeling my body scream with fatigue. The excitement of the day had finally caught up with me, and I longed to go to sleep.

"I agree. What do you think about Harry Potter being a champion too?"

"I haven't really thought about it," he replied, looking at me.

"So do you think he put his name in?"

He shrugged. "He told me he didn't put his name in, but I don't know what to believe,"

I yawned. "I think I'm gonna head off to bed, I'm exhausted,"

He stroked my cheek. "I think that's a good idea. Goodnight," he gave me a soft kiss, and I smiled before going to my dorm. I was so tired that I fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.

I woke up with a strange feeling of being watched. When I sat up however, the dorm was empty. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair before laying back in bed. I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep again, with little luck. I lay awake until dawn, and then my body finally gave into sleep.

--

"This is actually kind of entertaining," I teased him, as we watched two third-year girls walk away, a happy little bounce in their steps.

It had been almost two weeks since his name was pulled out of the Goblet of Fire, and it didn't seem like the hysteria was dying down anytime soon. Wherever Cedric and I went in the castle, there was always at least one student who came up to congratulate Cedric, and at least two giggling girls asking for him to sign their book bags. His cheeks would go red as he signed them, and I'd receive dirty looks from the 'fan girls', as I'd so fondly came to call them. Oh, the irony.

"It's bloody well not," he grumbled, although a smile was threatening to break out on his face. I knew that he found it awkward, but he was too polite to say no when someone asked him to sign something.

"Oh, come on," I teased, a smile on my face. "You know you love it,"

He was about to answer, when he suddenly froze. The sound of voices came from around the corner, voices that I recognized as Cho Chang and her friends. She had become even more annoying since Cedric was made champion, and I was starting to doubt that girl's mental health.

"Shit," he muttered, and nearly pulled my arm out of its socket when he dragged me into an empty classroom. Closing the door silently behind us, he listened for any signs that Cho and her friends knew that we were there. He led me over to a desk, and we sat down on it. I folded my legs underneath me and leaned my head on his shoulder. Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

"Cedric, what am I to you?" I lifted my head to look at him. "Am I your girlfriend?" we hadn't really labeled it, and the insecure part of me wanted to know where we stood.

"I don't know if girlfriend is the word I'd use." I frowned at him. "using the term 'girlfriend' makes it so...adolescent,"

"We are adolescents, Ced," I reminded him, a smile tugging on the corners of my mouth.

He grinned, pulling me closer to him. "I know, but it feels like this is more. It feels like we belong together. Like you are mine,"

I smiled at him and pressed my lips against his in a soft kiss. "I am yours. Are you mine?"

He nodded, stroking my cheek softly. "I'm yours,"

* * *

Like it? Love it? Loathe it? Let me know.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I promised you guys another chapter to make up for the short chapter I posted on Thursday, and here it is :) As you've probably realized, I've started to go more and more into canon, but I can assure you that I will **not**, I repeat, I will **not** kill Cedric. I love him and Ava too much to do that. Big, big kudos to those of you who have reviewed, it means a lot to me.

Without further notice, on with the show :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.

* * *

**Falling at my own pace**

**Chapter 9**

"What the bloody hell is that?" I exclaimed, picking up one of the small circular badges that lay on a table in the common room. It said 'Support Cedric Diggory, the REAL Hogwarts champion', and after a few seconds the text changed to 'Potter stinks'.

"I haven't the foggiest," Cedric replied, looking at the badge in disbelief. That minute Ernie Macmillan came in from his dorm. He smiled widely when he saw us.

"You like the badges then?" he said, sticking out his chest so that we could see the badge that was attached to his robes.

"They're terrible!" I exclaimed. "I can't believe people actually wear these! If Potter says he didn't put his name in the goblet, you lot should just believe him,"

Ernie looked at me like I had two heads or somthing, before turning to Cedric. "Everyone but the Gryffindors are wearing them, to show their support," he went out through the portrait hole, and I stared after him.

"This is daft!" I sighed and threw the badge back on the table with a disgusted look on my face. "I hope you're not expecting me to wear one," I told him firmly, arching an eyebrow.

"Merlin, no," he laughed slightly. "I wish that they would support him as much they do me. Besides," he winked, "it doubles the chance of this being a Hogwarts victory,"

I chuckled. "You're right as usual. Anyway, we should get down to breakfast,"

It seemed like every person we passed on our way to the Great Hall was wearing one of those badges, and it was seriously starting to piss me off. Didn't people have anything better to do? When we entered the Great Hall, Harry and Hermione Granger were just leaving, and noticed that Harry looked a bit flustered. I didn't blame him.

I spend breakfast trying to avoid the badges that were all but thrown at me. Both me and Cedric tried to talk Ethan and Ryan out of wearing them, but they refused to take them off.

"Okay, I'm off. I'll see you in History," I gave Cedric a small kiss and then went towards the greenhouses for my double Herbology class. As I went out on the courtyard, I met Malfoy and his usual gang of idiots.

"Like the badges Roxley?" he said with a sneer, and I huffed. He blocked my way, and I looked down at him. Yes, I said looking down, because he was at least 2 inches shorter than me.

"Get out of my way Malfoy," I pushed past him, ignoring his voice as it rang through the air.

"I figured you'd want one, but apparently I was wrong,"

"No shit, Sherlock," I muttered, sighing in relief when the greenhouses came into view.

--

I was almost late to my next class, having knocked over a flower-pot the last five minutes of Herbology, and slid down in the seat next to Cedric with only a minute to spare. He chuckled low at my dishevelled hair, which was bushy from the wind, and I playfully smacked his arm before putting it up in a braid. Then Professor Binns slid through the black board, and I opened my note book, ready to start taking notes.

"I swear, that class just gets more and more boring each year," I complained as we walked out of the class an hour later.

"It doesn't help that you can barely keep you eyes open," Cedric replied. He had his hand on my lower back, guiding me towards the Great Hall for lunch.

"I can't help it!" I whined. "He just goes on, and on, and on. It's enough to put anyone to sleep!" I glared at him. "Oh and by the way, I hate you for not having to do any exams this year,"

He laughed at that. "It's not my fault, you know. Tell you what, if you want, I'll help you with the studying when it comes down to that,"

I grinned and leaned up to give him a kiss. "You better. You got Outstandings in all your O.W.L's, so it's the least you can do,"

--

Luckily I arrived in time for my Defense class, and slid down next to Angelina Johnson in the back.

"You're lucky you're not late," she whispered, and I opened my book. "Moody might have turned you in to a ferret,"

I let out a low chuckle at the memory of Malfoy bouncing around the Entrance hall in the shape of a white ferrett. I went silent though when Moody entered the classroom, his wooden leg echoing against the stone floor.

"Today we will start working with the Patronus charm. Who in here can tell me what a Patronus is and which charm is used to conjure it?" his voice bellowed, as he looked out over the class. I raised my hand tentatively.

"Roxley,"

"A Patronus is a silvery phantom shape, usually that of an animal, which is the embodiment of the positive thoughts of the caster. Patronuses are very efficient in protecting you against Dementors. The charm is _Expecto Patronum_,"

"Good, 20 points to Hufflepuff,"

I grinned at Angelina, who mouthed 'teacher's pet' at me, though a smile was on her face. I only winked at her before turning my attention back to Moody.

--

I met up with Cedric in the common room later that day, where he was doing homework. I sat down next to him with a sign, and he looked up from his books.

"You okay?" He was frowning, and I nodded reassuringly.

"Just tired," I yawned. "I haven't been sleeping very well lately." I gave him a small smile.

He smiled crookedly and closed his book. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted when the portrait hole swung open and a blonde first-year stepped in.

"Cedric, Dumbledore wanted me to tell you to go to classroom 11, he said something about an interview," the first-year said, looking proud to be carrying a message from the Headmaster.

"Thank you Eliza," Cedric smiled, and she went completely red, a small smile on her face, happy that Cedric knew her name. Cedric gathered his books and gave me a kiss. "I'll see you at dinner,"

"Have fun," I winked, and his melodic laughter echoed in the room as he left. I chuckled and took out my books, determent to do as much homework as possible before dinner, I didn't want to be stuck doing homework all weekend.

I was half way through my History of Magic essay when Tara sat down next to me. She didn't say anything, just pulled out her Arithmancy books and started to work. When I was done with my essay I started to feel my eyes drop. The lack of sleep was catching up with me, I noticed.

"I think I'm going to try to catch a few hours of sleep. Will you wake me up before dinner?"

Tara looked up at me and nodded. "Yeah, off course. I'll see you later,"

As I walked into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror, I noticed that the dark circles under my eyes were worse, and I took a small sip of the sleeping draught I had gotten from Madam Pomfrey earlier that day.

I lay down on my bed still fully clothed, and soon felt the draught take its effect. Obviously it worked, because after what only felt like a few minutes, Tara was shaking me awake.

I changed into muggle clothes, since my uniform was wrinkled from sleep, and went towards the Great Hall. I pulled my hoodie closer to my body, a chill going through my body as it worked to stay awake. Cedric was already at the table when I got there, and I gave him a soft kiss as I sat down.

"How did the interview go?"

He sighed, shaking his head. "Bloody awful. Guess who was doing the interview. Rita Skeeter,"

I choked back a laugh, putting my hand over my mouth. "Sorry, but it's a bit funny,"

"Not likely. You try being stuffed into a broom closet with that hag while she uses her bloody quick-quotes quill and is trying to get you to confess that you're mental and have a death wish,"

"I'm sorry it was such a pain," I touched his shoulder lightly, and he grinned. Lowering his lips on mine, I realized just how much I'd missed kissing him today. I'd been so busy that I'd only had time to give him small pecks. I found myself moving closer to him, deepening the kiss as I ran a hand through his hair, my fingers scraping lightly on the back of his skull. He didn't seem to mind that I was practically pouncing on him as he started to kiss me back, his hands going to my waist.

We only broke apart when someone cleared their throat, and I looked up. I gave Ryan, who was the guilty person, a dirty look, before I started to eat. Cedric's left arm was around my waist the entire meal, and I stroked his fingers with my right hand, masterfully managing to eat with only one hand.

When I had finished eating I glanced over at him. He gave me a crooked smile, and I felt my heart flutter.

"Let's go," I tugged on his hand and he stood up with me. "We're going back to the common room," I told our friends, before we went towards the exit.

I led him in silence down the stairs, along the corridor, past the painting that led to the kitchen, and through the portrait hole. His hand was tightly clasped in mine, our fingers entwined. The common room was deserted, everyone was still eating, and he sat down on the couch.

I sat down next to him, toed off my shoes and folded my legs beneath me. He raised his arm and wrapped it around my shoulders, pulling me close to him. I leaned my head on his shoulder and wrapped my arm around his waist.

"I missed you today," I said, a smile tugging on the corners of my mouth.

"What do you mean? We've seen each other loads today,"

"I know, but we haven't had any time for this. And I need this,"

He kissed the top of my head. "I know. I agree,"

"Between the stress of the tournament and all the homework the time spent with you is the time I cherish the most,"

He was silent for a few seconds, and then I felt a wide smile appear on his face. "You're so cheesy,"

I laughed and looked up at him. "That I am. But you love me for it," I teased and closed my eyes, snuggling closer. I was on the verge of falling asleep, when his voice sounded in the distance.

"Yes, I do,"

--

A cry of outrage came the next morning at breakfast, and I looked up from my toast.

"What is this rubbish?!" Ethan exclaimed, holding up the Daily Prophet for us to see.

I skimmed through the article, and my eyebrows rose higher and higher the further I read. The article, written by Rita Skeeter, was mainly about Harry Potter. The names of Durmstrang and Beaxbatons were misspelled, and Cedric's name wasn't mentioned at all. I noticed that every Hufflepuff that had read the article was looked over angrily at the Gryffindor table.

"Come on, this is Rita Skeeter we're talking about. You shouldn't take anything she writes seriously," I told Ethan, who was muttering curses under his breath.

"Yeah, let it go mate," Ryan chipped in, his mouth stuffed with egg and bacon.

"I agree with Ava," Cedric said, putting the Daily Prophet down on the table. "Everything that Skeeter woman writes is rubbish, and you shouldn't care about it,"

A heated discussion occurred then between Ethan, Ryan and Cedric. Ethan argued that Potter was getting all the attention when he wasn't even really supposed to be in the Tournament in the first place, while Cedric and Ryan argued back that Potter hadn't asked for the attention. I finally called Ethan out for being an insensitive prick, and the breakfast was ended with him throwing an egg at me.

--

"Look at this!" Tara exclaimed excitingly when she saw the note that was stuck on the message board in the common room. "Hogsmeade next weekend,"

"It's about time, I have to buy some new quills," I replied, and smiled when a pair of arms encirled my waist.

"Hogsmeade, eh?" Cedric said, placing a kiss on my cheek. "We're going together, right?"

I spun around in his arms, eyes twinkling. "Off course,"

"You two are so cute I want to throw up," Tara huffed before leaving us.

* * *

Like it? Love it? Loathe it? Let me know.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: New chapter, yay :) This chapter is a bit longer than the others I think, and it's one of my favourites. Enjoy, and don't forget to review.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.

* * *

**Falling at my own pace**

**Chapter 10**

The morning of the Hogsmeade trip was quite cold, colder so than you'd expect it to be in mid November. After eating breakfast Cedric and I started to walk down towards Hogsmeade, ignoring the other students around us. My navy pea coat was brand new, and itched a bit at the cuffs, so I pulled down my shirt sleeves a bit further.

Suddenly he stopped, a look of mischief in his eyes.

"Hop up," he said, crouching slightly.

I looked at him like he was crazy. "You're serious?"

He nodded. "As a heart attack. Now hop up,"

I laughed and jumped up on his back, my arms around him to keep me there. He looped his arms behind my knees and carried me piggy-back style towards the Wizard village. He laughed when I placed a kiss to his neck, and squeezed my leg.

It was good to see him happy. It was only 4 days until the first task, and I knew that it was stressing him out. I'd done my best to help him prepare him for the task, but it was difficult when neither one of us knew what he was up against.

--

After going to Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop and buying school suplies, we just walked around the village, talking. There were more people than usual on the streets, since the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were also there. Cedric seemed to attract the attention of a lot of Beauxbatons girls, and I felt the little green monster inside of me struggling to burst free. I didn't need to worry though, Cedric didn't give them as much as a second glance.

"I think I may be more nervous about Tuesday than you are," I told him as we walked, pressing my body a bit closer to him.

"I'm going to be nervous when it's time. At the moment, I don't know what I'm up against, therefore I can't be nervous about it,"

He looked thoughtful for a few seconds, and then a grin spread on his face. "You want to get something to drink?"

I nodded. "Yeah, something warm, preferably,"

We walked for a few more minutes, and then stopped in front of a small tea shop called _Madam Puddifoot's. _We stepped inside, and I instantly felt like throwing up with the heavy scent of perfume that was in the air. The decor was on the tacky side of frilly, and it seemed like all the occupants were couples, either engaged in what looked like intense conversations, kissing, or just staring into each other's eyes. I looked up at Cedric, and his reaction was about the same as mine.

"Three Broomsticks?" I offered, and he nodded.

"Yes, please,"

We went out again, and I noticed that it was colder now than before. I snuggled closer to Cedric, and in return he slung an arm around my shoulder. We walked up to the High Street, and towards the Three Broomstick's for a nice, warm mug of Butterbeer.

It was crowded as usual, and I went to find us a table while Cedric got us drinks. When he came back I tried to pay him for my butterbeer, but he refused to accept my money. I hated being in debt with people.

"Fine then," I argued. "I'll just buy you an expensive Christmas present,"

"I'll buy you a more expensive one," he smiled crookedly and gave me a kiss.

"Not fair," I pouted and took a sip of my drink. I could feel it warm me up from the inside and out, creating a good feeling in my stomach.

The volume made it almost impossible to talk, so I scooted over closer to Cedric in order to hear what he was saying. We sat in there for a few hours, talking and drinking our butterbeer. I bought the second round, much to his dismay, making us even.

--

We came back to Hogwarts just before dinner, and my stomach was rumbling loudly when we sat down at the table. It seemed like the trip to Hogsmeade had lifted everyone's spirits, and the Great Hall was buzzing with anticipation for the first task.

Unlike the rest of the students, Cedric's mood seemed to go down from the happy, care free person I'd seen in Hogsmeade, and there wasn't much I could do besides help him with whatever spell he was working on, or simply be there for him.

We were sitting in the common room later that evening, talking about what he might face on Tuesday, and which spells could help him. _Expelliarmus_ was a given, as well as the Stunning spell, Shield charm and the Confundus charm.

We parted at around midnight, and I walked reluctantly to my dorm. I didn't want to be apart from him more than I had to, since I had a bad feeling about the first task.

After changing into flannel pants and a tank top I went to bed, pulling my duvet up over my shoulders and closing my eyes, waiting for sleep to overtake me. It didn't though, and with a frustrated sigh I got up and went to get my sleeping draught. I knew that it was bad to rely on it just to get a good night's sleep, but I also knew that I would be feeling worse tomorrow if I _didn't _take the draught.

Standing in the bathroom with the draught clutched in my hand, I suddenly realized I had another option. Carefully putting it back, I exited the bathroom and grabbed my robe from my bedside.

I knew that he was still awake, I could see the light from under his door as I knocked lightly. He opened it, and looked quite surprised to see me standing there. Off course, his first instinct was that something had happened.

"Ava? What's wrong?"

I shook my head. "Nothing's wrong, I just couldn't sleep. Can I come in?"

"Yeah, off course," he stepped aside to let me enter, and then closed the door behind me. I tried not to stare at his bare chest, but found it difficult. The years of Quidditch training had sculptured his body, and his upper body was toned to perfection.

I glanced over at his bed and blushed, remembering what had happened the last time I was in here. The bed was unmade, like he had just stepped out of if to open the door. I felt him come up behind me, resting his hands on my shoulders.

"You tired?" he asked, and I nodded.

"Yeah, I am. I was going to take a sleeping draught, but figured I could try to sleep with you," I once again turned red when I realized what I'd said. _What is it about him that makes me say these things?_

He chuckled. "So I bore you to sleep then?"

I spun around, my eyes wide. "No, Cedric, I didn't mean..." I trailed off when I saw the grin on his face. "You're a jerk," I smiled. It was impossible to be angry with him.

"Maybe, but you're the one who wants to sleep with me," he teased, and I bowed my head, blushing. "Come on, let's go to bed,"

Taking my hand in his, he led me to his bed. I took of my robe, and hung it over the back of a chair. I lay down, settling on my side with one arm below my head. I felt the bed shift as he lay down behind me and pulled the duvet up over us. Shifting back, I moved until I came into contact with the hard muscles of his chest. His arms snaked around me, and I covered his hand with mine.

He moved closer to me, so close that our bodies were pressed together, and I felt a smile rise on my face. He kissed my neck, nuzzling his nose into my hair.

"Good night," he murmured, and I squeezed his hand.

"Good night,"

I closed my eyes, trying to force my body into sleep. I felt the steady rise and fall of Cedric's chest against my back, and I matched my breathing to his. Not long after that, I felt my body start to fall into deep slumber, and I remember thinking that I'd finally found a cure for my insomnia before sleep overtook me.

--

When I woke up the next morning I noticed that we had shifted positions during the night. Cedric was laying on his back, and I was curled up at his side, our legs entwining. My arm was thrown across his torso, and my cheek was pressed into the right side of his chest. I felt his fingers in my hair, stroking it softly, and I looked up at him.

His eyes were closed, but it didn't seem like he was sleeping. The moment he felt me shift, he opened his eyes and looked down at me, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Good morning," he said, his voice slightly raspy from sleep, and I smiled at him.

"Morning,"

I leaned up and kissed him softly. My body felt relaxed and well rested from having a full night's sleep, and I stretched out my body, laying my head back on his chest. He placed a kiss on the top of my head, and in return I snuggled closed to him.

"I don't want to get up," I groaned, closing my eyes and trying to lure my body into falling back asleep.

He chuckled, a low rumble that vibrated in his chest. "We have to, it's almost 9. You do want breakfast, right?"

I sighed and sat up. "Okay, I'm up, I'm up,"

Getting out of bed, I slipped on my robe. "I'll meet you in the common room, okay?"

Cedric sat up, and I smiled at his sleep dishevelled hair. "Yeah, I'll wait for you,"

I leaned over the bed and placed a slow, intense kiss to his lips before leaving his room. The common room was fairly empty, only a few third-years were scattered throughout the room. Most of them looked funny at me as I went into the tunnel that lead to my dorms. The moment I stepped inside, a cry came from one of the beds.

"Where did you sleep last night?"

"I was in Cedric's room,"

Tara's eyebrows shot up into her hairline. "You tart! I didn't know you were sleeping together,"

I blushed. "We're not _sleeping_ together, I just slept in there last night because I couldn't sleep, and I wanted to try something else than a sleeping draught,"

She gave me a cheeky grin. "Yeah, right,"

I laughed. "I'm serious. Anyway, I have to get ready, Cedric said he'd be waiting for me,"

--

It was near evening, the sun was beginning to set and the all too familiar darkness slowly crept over the grounds. I was sitting in the common room, reading, when I felt the couch shift next to me. I looked up and smiled when I saw Cedric.

"Hey," I said and leaned over to give him a kiss.

"Hey. Do you have any swimwear with you?"

I frowned. "Yeah, I have. Why?"

"Just trust me. Put them on and meet me here in 10 minutes,"

"Okay," I laughed, and did as he asked.

I opened my trunk and searched through it for my swim suit. I had no real use of it, the prefects bathroom was, off course, only for the prefects, and the lake was not a place I planned on swimming in anytime soon.

I put on the bikini, which was navy blue, and then put on my muggle clothes over it. Grabbing a towel I walked back to the common room, where Cedric was sitting right where I left him.

"Come on,"

Grabbing me by the hand, he started to lead me up towards the ground floor. We walked higher and higher up, and I wondered where we were going. Finally, we went into a corridor at the fifth floor, which I noticed when we passed the statue of Boris the Bewildered.

He stopped in front of a door a little further down the corridor. "Pine-fresh," he said to the door, and I looked in surprised when the door swung open. "Ladies first," he gestured, a boyish smile on his face.

I walked in, and my mouth dropped open in awe. "Wow, this place is amazing,"

I was in the Prefects bathroom, I gathered, a place I'd never been in before. The walls, floor and sunken bathtub was all made of white marble, lit up softly by a candle-filled chandelier. The rectangular tub was the size and depth of a swimming pool, and even had a diving board. Unlike an ordinary pool though, the tub was lined with about a hundred taps, each with a differently coloured jewel set into the handle.

"I've only been in here a handful of times," Cedric said as he closed and bolted the door behind us. "I've never really seen the glory of being here alone, it's too big,"

Walking to the edge of the pool, he leaned down and started to turn on the taps. Each tap released not only water, but bubble bath, and it seemed to be a different kind for each coloured-coded handle.

Despite the size, the pool took only a few seconds to fill up, and I had to admit that the water looked inviting.

"Shall we?" Cedric grinned, and I felt a toothy grin come on to my face. I started to peel my clothes off, watching as he did the same. He had on black swimming shorts, and I couldn't help but to let my eyes trail over his body. He was beautiful.

When he realized that I was staring at him, he actually blushed a bit before grinning and jumping into the pool. I laughed, the sound echoing off the walls, and then jumped in after him. Water splashed all over the place, and and I relished in the feel of the hot water.

I lay on my back, floating around the pool as a content sigh left my lips. I yelped when I felt Cedric grab my waist and pull me towards him. I smiled at him and wrapped my arms around his neck. Leaning my forehead against his, I closed my eyes and just basked in the feeling of having him close to me.

I had realized some time during the past two weeks that what I felt for him went deeper than just _caring._ It scared me like nothing else when Tara had voiced what I was feeling. Love. I was in love with him. I, Ava Roxley, was in love with him, Cedric Diggory. I was scared because it had all happened so fast, and been so intense. But I didn't think for a moment that what I was feeling wasn't real. It was, I knew it was.

I didn't realize that we had moved until I felt the wall of the pool against my back. The water was shallow enough here so that I could stand, and I was grateful for that. I was trapped between his body and the cool marble of the wall, a good feeling since the look in his eyes made my knees buckle.

Gently, he lowered his lips to mine, kissing me with an intensity that made me grab onto his hair in fear of my body failing me. We continued to kiss for a few minutes, our tongues in a slow sensual dance with each other.

We were both panting when we broke apart, and I leaned my forehead against his again, keeping my eyes closed. Up until that moment, this was the closest I'd felt to him on an emotional level.

"I love you," I breathed, and as soon as the words left my mouth, I felt his entire body freeze. Carefully, I looked up at him, and saw that his eyes were wide, looking at me in disbelief. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...I mean, it's too soon and I..."

My ramblings were cut off by his mouth on mine. I pulled back reluctantly, and searched his eyes for some sort of answer.

"Cedric?" my voice was weak, and I hated myself for it.

"I love you,"

The words were unexpected on my part, and I look a moment to really let them sink in.

"You love me?" I repeated, hope in my voice.

"I love you," he said, a wide grin on his face, and he laughed before leaning down to catch my lips with his again. My insides were cheering and doing cartwheels. _He loves me. _

--

"I think that I've really gotten the charm down now," I said as out little group of friends went towards our Charms class on Monday morning. It was the day before the task, and I was planning on staying up all night with Cedric practising if I had to.

"It's really not that difficult, you just have to get the movement right," Tara told me, and I nodded. Right in that moment, Cedric's bag broke, sending the contents flying to the ground.

"Bloody hell," he sighed, and leaned down to pick it up. "Don't bother, I'll be right with you,"

"You sure?" I asked, and he smiled at me.

"Yeah, tell Flitwick I'll be right there," he gave me a kiss, and then we continued on towards the class room.

I sat down at my usual seat in the middle after telling Flitwick what had happened. Although it wasn't really needed, since Cedric entered the classroom not 5 minutes later, carrying his torn bag in his hands. He sat down next to me, and when he looked at me, I saw fear in his grey eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked in a hushed tone as Flitwick started to class.

"Dragons," Cedric replied, almost choking on the word. "The first task is dragons,"

I stared at him, gobsmacked. "Are you serious?" I stuttered, and he nodded.

"Potter told me. Apparently both Fleur and Krum has seen them too," he turned his attention back to Flitwick, but I knew that neither one of us was going to get much done. I was struck with a cold, hard fear. Were they crazy? Someone could get killed. Dragons were probably the most dangerous animal in the Wizarding world.

* * *

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	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Ah, the much awaited first task. Well, not really awaited, since you all ready know what happens. But I hope I bring something new, since it's from Ava's perspective. Please go and vote on my poll, I'd really appreciate it.

The next update should come late Saturday evening, or early Sunday morning.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.

* * *

**Falling at my own pace**

**Chapter 11**

"This one gave nothing," I said, closing the book I had been reading and opening the next one.

"Thanks," Cedric replied, still reading the book, a deep frown on his face.

We had been sitting in the library for hours, trying to come up with something, anything, that could help Cedric. So far it didn't look good. Then, something I read caught my eye.

"Hey Ced, check this out; it says here that dragons are easily distracted,"

He looked up at me, giving me a thoughful look. "I could transfigure something,"

I nodded enthusiastically, closing the book. "Yeah, that could work. Transfigure something to distract the dragon. Now we just need a place to practise,"

"What about the Room of Requirement?"

I nodded. "Yeah, come on,"

--

By midnight, around 20 dogs in different shapes and sized were bouncing around the Room of Requirement. I was stretched out the couch that appeared as soon as I started to think about being tired, and Cedric was changing yet another chair into a dog.

"_Changio," _he said, pointing his wand at the chair, and it transformed into a golden retriever, happily wagging it's tail at him. "I think I'm ready to do this now," he said, though his voice held a bit of tremor that I didn't recognize. I stood up and went over to him, wrapping my arms around him in a comforting matter.

"You're going to do great, I know it," I reached up and gave him a small kiss. "But you're going to need your rest, so I suggest that you try to get some sleep,"

He nodded. "Yeah, I probably should," with a flick of his wrist, the dogs transformed back into chairs. I grabbed his hand, and we made our way down to the common room. I tried to comfort him as best as I could, even though I too was afraid of tomorrow.

The common room was empty when we got there, and I looked down slightly at one of the 'Support Cedric Diggory' badges that still lay on a table. I moved towards the tunnel that lead to my dorm, but stopped when I felt Cedric tug on my hand.

"Would it be okay if you...if you slept in my room tonight? I think I'm going to need you to help me relax," he sounded so scared, so insecure that I felt like crying. Instead, I nodded.

"Off course. Let me just change and I'll be right there,"

My roommates were asleep, so I tried to be as quiet as possible, not wanting to wake them. After I had changed into my pyjamas I went over to Cedric's room, knocking on the door lightly before stepping in.

He was sitting on the bed, elbows leaning on his knees and with his head in his hands. He didn't look up when I stepped in, and I closed and locked the door behind me before walking over to him. When I was standing so close that my knees touched his, I covered my hands with his and lowered them, forcing him to look up at me.

"It's going to be fine. I believe in you," I spoke softly, and he gave me a small smile.

Wrapping his arms around my waist, he pulled me forwards so that I was standing between his open legs, his forehead resting on my stomach. I lightly threaded my fingers through my hair, offering my silent comfort. I don't know how long we stayed in that position, but after a while Cedric sighed and pulled back.

"Let's get some sleep," he suggested and lay back in the bed. I followed after removing my robe, and snuggled close to him.

We were both lying on our sides, facing each other. Our legs were tangled, and I had one arm around his back, and he around mine. My other hand lay splayed on his chest, feeling the steady thumping of his heartbeat. He reached up and brushed back a stray piece of hair from my face before kissing me softly.

I brought my hand up and cupped his cheek, stroking the skin softly. Our kiss remained light, even when his tongue darted out to taste mine. I bended my knees slightly and tucked one between his legs.

I broke the kiss first, and opened my eyes. "Sleep," I coaxed him, and he gave a low sigh before pulling me nearer to him. I tucked my head under his chin and buried my nose in his throat. After just a few minutes I felt his breathing turn deeper and more relaxed, and I snuggled closer to him, already falling asleep myself.

--

I couldn't focus in Transfiguration the next morning, and McGonagall almost gave me detention for not paying attention. She probably cut me some slack because of Cedric, and I was glad for that.

I was a nervous wreck when I walked out of the classroom, and Jennifer had to grab my arm and steer me, otherwise I could have crashed into a group of fifth-year Slytherins.

I sat down in the back in my Defence class, next to Fred Weasly. He took one look at my face, and took me under his wing for the rest of the class. He could be a nice, considerate friend when he wasn't joking around.

Lunch came both too quickly and too slow for my liking. All classes ended before lunch, and the first task was to take place at 1 p.m.

"I think I'm going to faint," I said weakly as we walked down to the dragons enclosure. Off course, my friends didn't know there were dragons, and Ethan and Ryan had spent a good part of the lunch discussing what they might face. One glare from Tara had shut them up though.

"No, you're not. You can't, he's going to need your support,"

I looked out over the enclosure where the task was to be held, and noticed a tent where I guessed the champions were.

"You guys, I'm gonna go talk to him," I said, and then steered my steps towards the tent. When I entered, I saw Cedric pacing to and fro. He stopped when he saw me, and attempted a smile that most resembled a grimace.

I went up to him and enclosed him in a short hug before stepping back and looking up at him. I could see that he was nervous, it was written in his eyes, but they also held furious determination to not let fear stand his way.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, putting a hand up on his shoulder.

"Sick to my stomach," he replied, and I wrapped my arms around him again. He held me tight against his body, and I returned the gesture. I was almost afraid to let him go, but when I saw Ludo Bagman enter the tent I knew I had to leave. I let him go reluctantly.

"Do you remember what to do with your dragon?" I asked him, my voice low. He nodded, clearly struggling to find the words. I leaned up and gave him a short but intense kiss. "I love you," I whispered against his mouth.

"I love you too. See you soon,"

"I love you," I repeated before leaving the tent.

My heart was beating so fast I feared I might get a heart attack as I sought out Tara and Jennifer from the crowd. I sat down beside them, and Tara squeezed my hand. I waited anxiously for the task to begin, and nearly jumped in my seat when Dumbledore's voice sounded throughout the area.

He spoke of the task, and then it began. Gasps of horror and awe sounded through the area as a large, blue dragon entered the enclosure. I recognized it as a Swedish Short snout, and I flinched when it breathed out a powerful blue flame. Images of Cedric being burnt by the flame went through my mind, which was ridiculous considering I didn't know if this was the dragon Cedric was up against.

I got my answer not a minute later when a figure clad in black and yellow robes entered the arena. I watched in horror as he approached he dragon, his wand out. I wanted to cover my face with my hands, but I sat as frozen. I saw him point his wand at a boulder, and almost laughed out loud with relief when it turned into a black Labrador, just like when we had practised yesterday.

I watched as the dragon got distracted by the dog and set to chase it across the arena, and then my attention turned to Cedric as he ran to the middle and fetched the egg. I gasped in horror though when the dragon changed it's mind and turned to to Cedric instead. A shriek of terror left my mouth as the flame shot out, enfulging Cedric in a blue ring of fire. My eyes closed as tears started to trickle down my cheeks.

"Ava, he's okay. Look, he's okay," Tara told me reassuringly, and I realized that I was still holding her hand in a bone crushing grip. I opened my eyes, and watched, to my relief, Cedric run away as the dragon was once again distracted by the dog.

"He's okay, he's okay," I repeated over and over to myself, and Tara put a hand on my shoulder.

"Go and see if he's alright," she said, and I stood up and practically ran down to the champions tent.

When I entered, I saw Madam Pomfrey standing by the side, tending to Cedric. His robes were torn, his face smoky, and the left side of his face was covered in an orange paste I recognized as a burn-healing paste. The mediwitch smiled when she saw me.

"I'll leave you two alone," she said and then went out of the tent.

"You're barking mad for putting your name in," I said, walking over to him.

"I'm starting to think that too," he joked, his crooked grin ever so present on his face as he held out his hand to me. I took it, and he pulled me close. Much to my dismay, I felt tears start to fall down my face again.

"Sorry," I muttered and reached up to brush them away. "I'm proud of you, I really am. Even though you nearly gave me a heart attack,"

He pulled me into his lap, careful not to get any of the orange paste on me. "I'm sorry that I caused you pain," he kissed my cheek. "On the bright side though, we don't have to worry about the second task until three months from now,"

I gave a short laugh and gave him a kiss that made us both forget about the next task.

--

The festivities in the Hufflepuff common room lasted well after midnight, despite the fact that we all had classes in the morning. But for once, I couldn't bring myself to care.

"We're going to be so dead tomorrow," Tara said a bit too loudly, red in the face from the firewhiskey she'd had.

I laughed. "Tell me about it. I have double class with McGonagall in the morning,"

She giggled, and then latched on to a seventh-year guy who looked as plastered as she. I laughed as they fell into an armchair together, and the smile remained on my face when I saw Cedric make his way over to me, a bottle of butterbeer in his hand.

The burn-healing paste had served its purpose well, and by looking at his face you couldn't tell that he'd been burned by a dragon just a few hours ago. He planted a big kiss on my mouth, embracing me at the same time.

I couldn't help but to laugh at him. He was amazing; talking to everyone, smiling, laughing and joking. This was the reason I loved him. He had the kindest heart I'd ever seen, and was the most amazing person I knew.

Planting another kiss to his lips, I pressed my body against his. He put down the bottle in his hand on a nearby table, and then embraced me properly. One of his hands tangled itself in my hair while the other one settled on my lower back, keeping my body pressed against his.

"I love you Ava Roxley," he said when we had broken apart, and my grin was now so wide it nearly hurt my lips.

"And I love you Cedric Diggory,"

He grinned and gave me another kiss. A collective 'aw' went through the common room, and some of the guys wolf-whistled. I blushed and hid my face in Cedric's chest, just happy to be near him.

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	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Haha, I bet you didn't see this one coming. After all, I updated yesterday, so this update shouldn't actually come until at least Saturday. But....I'm feeling very generous today (might have something to do with the fact that I got my braces out today, AND I had a concert tonight, and it rocked), so I'm presenting you with this chapter.

I'm warning you; this chapter is rated very strong M for explicit sexual situations, but you all already knew it was coming sooner or later, right? If you don't feel comfortable with reading material of sexual nature, simply skip this chapter. It's not very informing given.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.

* * *

**Falling at my own pace**

**Chapter 12**

It had been three days since the first task, and it seemed like Cedric's popularity was growing bigger and bigger. He was still trying to figure out the second clue, and I did what I could to help him.

I felt myself falling more a more in love with him each day, and the time at night when we parted were the worst time of the day. I hadn't slept in his room since before the first task, and I was starting to miss the warmth of his body beside me, and the way he would nuzzle my hair in the mornings.

That night, I made a decision. I loved him more than anything, and I knew that this wasn't just some fling. I would be with him until he told me otherwise.

After my shower I dug through my drawer for a set of underwear I knew were there. Tara had given me them for my last birthday, and they'd just sort of tagged along back and forwards in my trunk. I'd never had a reason to use them before now.

The set consisted of a navy bra made of satin and lace, with matching boy short panties. Putting them on, I threw my robe on over, and brushed out my hair. Making sure that I was ready, I went towards Cedric's room.

As I had predicted, he was still awake, and didn't look too surprised when he saw me standing outside his door. He simply let me in and gave me a soft kiss.

"I had a feeling you might come," he said with a small smirk on his face, and then turned to walk over to his bed.

I took a deep breath to steady myself, and then my hands went to the string that kept my robe together. I loosened the knot at the same time he turned around again.

"I'm not sure I'm getting..." whatever he was about to say was forgotten when my robe fell to the floor, pooling around my feet.

I felt my face flush as his eyes looked over my body from head to toe. Channeling my inner confident, I walked slowly up to him, and put my hands on his shoulders. I leaned up and pressed my lips softly against his before pulling away. I searched his face for a sign of some sort, and almost yelped when he grabbed my waist and pulled me close to him, crashing his lips to mine.

I gasped into when his hands settled on my lower back, and Cedric took the opportunity to stick his tongue into my mouth, tasting me. The feeling of his hands on my bare skin made my senses go into overdrive, and I grabbed the back of his neck to keep his mouth locked with mine.

I pressed my body harder against his, and let out a moan when I could feel the evidence of his desire against my stomach. Trailing his lips down to my neck Cedric kissed the spot behind my ear and I nearly came undone.

I tilted my neck to give him more access, and gripped his hair tighter.

"Cedric, I want you," I breathed, and he pulled away slightly.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded, too overcome with emotion to speak, but I knew he wouldn't settle for anything less than a verbal answer, so I mustered up the confidence I had left, and spoke.

"Cedric," I said, cupping his cheek in my hand. "I want you to make love to me,"

He covered my hand with his own, and removed it from his cheek only to entwine our fingers. He walked us over to the bed, and I felt my face turn red. He grabbed his wand from where it lay on the top of the cabinet, and cast first a locking spell and then a silencing spell over the door before dropping it back to its previous place.

He sat down at the foot of the bed, his hand still clutched in mine, and kept his eyes locked with mine. Feeling slightly embarrassed, I raised my hands to his shoulders, breathing deeply to calm my nerves. I knew that Cedric, always the gentleman, was waiting for me to make the next move, so I swallowed my nerves.

Bracing myself against his shoulders I sat down in his lap, straddling him. My bangs fell into my eyes, and he raised a hand from his side to brush them away. It was sort of funny; we'd been in the position before, without the awkwardness. Maybe it was the knowledge that it was for real this time. Tonight, we were finally going to give ourselves to each other.

I knew that he wasn't a virgin, and he knew that I was one, so I knew that he would take it easy with me.

I let out a small whimper when he placed his right hand on my thigh and started to move it upwards. Up and over my hipbone, across my stomach and up in the valley between my breasts before he stopped when it was curled around my neck. My skin broke out in goosebumps where his hand left its trail, and I could feel my body aching for him.

He pulled my face down towards him and kissed me softly. I pressed my body closer to his when his tongue touched mine, we both let out sounds of pleasure when our centers made contact. My hands trailed from his shoulders down over his chest, feeling his muscles contract and flex below my touch.

My fingers found the hemline of his shirt, and I pulled his shirt up as far as I could without breaking the kiss. I pulled away, and motioned for him to lift his arms so that I could pull his t-shirt over his head. He obliged, and I threw his shirt on the floor before pressing my lips against his again.

He gripped my hips, and then moved back on the bed, me still straddling him. I broke away from his mouth and let out a yelp when he flipped us over so that he was on top, and a small giggle escaped my mouth at the crooked grin on his face.

I raked my nails down his chest, and he let out a hiss of pleasure before capturing my lips with his own, more aggressively this time. I wrapped my legs around his hips and pressed myself closer to him, causing a throaty moan to leave my lips.

His lips left my lips and trailed down to my neck and collarbone. Cedric kissed and nibbled on the exposed skin before moving even further down to my chest. The feeling was like nothing I'd ever felt before, and I gripped his back tightly.

Arching my back slightly as another wave of pleasure tore through me, I felt his hand go to the clasp of my bra. He pulled the blue material off me and threw it on the floor. I moaned again as he placed his hand on my left breast, squeezing it lightly.

"Cedric, _please_," I groaned, arching my chest further into his hand. I didn't know what I wanted him to do, but I knew I wanted _something._ I let out an embarrassingly loud noise when he replaced his hand with his mouth, sucking on the flesh gently. I chanted his name over and over as my fingers raked through his hair, and his lips and tongue found my nipple.

For the next couple of minutes, he alternated between my left and right breast, nipping and sucking on my sensitive nipples until I was ready to explode with pleasure. I could feel myself getting wetter, and I ached for him.

I longed to touch him too, so I moved my hands down to the waistband of his pyjamas pants, pulling at them slightly. He released my breast and helped me pull his pants and underwear down before sitting back on his heels. When he was completely naked before my eyes, I could only stare.

"You're beautiful," I mumbled before tentatively reaching out to touch him.

His body went rigid as I wrapped my fingers around his erect shaft, and his face spoke of pure pleasure. Carefully, completely at loss for what to do, I started to move my hand up and down. He groaned, and I stopped.

"Did I do something wrong?"

He shook his head. "No, that was good," his voice was slightly out of breath I noticed.

"I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing, so some feedback would be nice," I said, and he nodded.

"Just keep doing what you're doing,"

I continued with my previous task, and let his moans guide me. Suddenly, he covered his hand with mine and stopped my actions. I looked at him questioningly, and he removed my hand.

"I want to be inside you the first time," he said simply, and I blushed.

He pushed at my shoulder lightly, urging me to lay back. I did so, and watched as he trailed his hand along my inner thigh, towards my center. He swiftly avoided the place I wanted his touch the most, and let out a low chuckle at my groan of protest. Instead, he dropped down his head and planted kisses down my stomach, towards my pantie line. His hands followed his mouth, and his fingers hooked into the sides of panties easily. As he moved further down my body, he dragged my panties down my legs and threw them onto the floor.

He was now face to face with my dripping sex, and he draped an arm across my stomach before leaning down and licking my slit in one swift stroke. My hips involuntary raised off the bed, with only his arm to keep me in place.

I moaned his name, and he licked me again. I squeezed my eyes shut and my hands pressed into his hair when he entered me with a finger, pumping in and out slowly. I could feel the intense pleasure build up, and I gasped for breath.

After a few minutes of pumping in and out, he added another finger, and at the same time tongued my clit. This was what drove me over the edge, and I squeezed my thighs together hard around his head as his name left my lips in a cry.

He lapped up my juices, and then crawled up my body as I lay limp, still coming down from my high. His hair was tousled, and his mouth shone with my juices. He had never looked more beautiful. I pressed my lips against his hard, my tongue coming out to touch his. The taste of myself on his lips was strange, but not unpleasant.

He broke away from my mouth and looked deep into my eyes. "Are you ready?"

I nodded. "I love you, I'm ready,"

He grabbed his wand and cast a contraceptive spell over us both, something I had completely forgotten about. Good thing _one _of us was level headed. Even though I'd expected it to me, I was the one with the most blood in my head. Oh, the irony.

Then he placed himself an my entrance, and pushed in slowly. My eyes went wide, and I gripped his back harder.

"Oh my..." a moan escaped from my lips, and I arched my back slightly.

He pushed in until he reached my barrier, and then held still. I knew that this was going to hurt, so I braced myself.

"Are you ready?" Cedric asked, his voice out of breath and slightly trembling.

I nodded. "I'm ready,"

"Let me know when the pain is gone, okay?"

Cedric brought his lips down on mine, kissing me slowly. I met the dance of his tongue with my own, and I felt him pull back a bit, before pushing through the barrier in one swift thrust. I tore my mouth away from his and cried out while a few tears escaped from my closed eyelids.

Cedric peppered kisses all over my face, whispering words of comfort in my ear. I forced my tense muscles to relax, and found that the pain was gone. Instead, a feeling of fullness, of being complete, took over my every pore.

I opened my eyes, and my blue eyer met his grey. A few beads of perspiration appeared on his brow, and I lifted my hand to brush them away.

"The pain is gone," I told him, and he searched my face for any signs of pain before starting to move slowly above me.

The second thrust brought a bit more pain, but I was careful not to let it show in my face. I knew that at any sign of discomfort on my part, he'd stop. And I did not want that to happen.

Every thrust of his hips brought a new tingle of pleasure soaring through my body, and I couldn't stop the sounds I was making. I brought my legs up around his hips, the angle causing him to enter me deeper. We groaned simultaneously, and then I brought my lips up to press against his.

"Harder," I breathed against his mouth, and groaned when he pushed in harder, almost moving my body with the force of his thrusts. I could feel myself starting to near my final act of release, and my mouth fell open. "Cedric, I'm gonna...I'm almost there,"

At my words, Cedric brought down a hand between our bodies and rubbed my sweet spot. I flew over the edge with a harsh cry of his name as I clung to him. As I came down from my high, he started to move faster.

I felt his entire body become rigid, and he came with a loud moan before dropping his face to my neck, collapsing on top of me. The look on Cedric's face when he climaxed inside of me was probably the most beautiful I had seen him, and I traced the back of his head with my fingers.

"I love you," I said softly in his ear, and he lifted his head to look at me.

"I love you too," he smiled and pressed his lips against mine. Then he pulled out of me, and I couldn't help but to feel a certain sense of loss. Picking up his wand, Cedric performed a cleansing spell on both of us before rolling us over so that he was on top.

I snuggled into his side, and he threw an arm around me. We just lay there for a few minutes, and then I spoke up.

"Was I..." I lowered my eyes. "Was I good?"

Cedric grabbed my chin in his hand and tilted my head up, forcing me to look at him.

"Ava, you were bloody amazing,"

I felt a stupid grin cover my face, and I leaned up to softly kiss his lips. I didn't notice that the covers were pulled back until I felt a chill go through my body. Cedric reached down and pulled the duvet up over us, keeping us warm.

I felt my eyes start to drift close, and I struggled to keep them open. I didn't want to sleep, in case this was all just a dream. But Cedric's voice tore through the silence.

"Sleep Ava. I'll still be here in the morning," he kissed the top of my head. "Sleep,"

I kept my eyes closed, and snuggled deeper into his side. Soon, I felt sleep overtake me.

* * *

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	13. Chapter 13

(Author's note at the bottom)

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.

* * *

**Falling at my own pace**

**Chapter 13**

The start of December came with a chill over Hogwarts, and I was grateful that the castle was warmed up. More than once did I glance out on the Durmstrang ship and pitied the students for having to be out in such cold weather.

Both Cedric and I had signed up to spend Christmas at Hogwarts, but when McGonagall announced that there would be a Yule Ball, I seriously started to regret that decision.

"Come on, it'll be fun. You get to dress up, and dance, and stay up late," Tara said with a suggestive movement of her eyebrows, and I shook my head.

"I can't dance Tara, you know that,"

"It's all in the leading. Besides, you're going with Cedric, right?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, he hasn't asked me yet, but I guess I am," I turned my attention back to the Daily Prophet, but was interrupted by the sound of wings. I looked up and saw Jerry, our family owl, flying towards me.

He landed in front of me and hooed softly at me. I took the letter from him and offered him to drink from my water cup. He took a couple of sips and then flew off. I opened the letter and smiled when I noticed my mother's hand writing.

_Dear Ava_, she wrote.

_I am so happy for you, Cedric sounds like an amazing young man. I'm sorry I haven't written in a while, but I've been very busy. We got a bus load of tourists from Portugal yesterday, and it's been a chaos with them here. Your father is well and he sends you his wishes. He's in the middle of grading exams at the moment, but promises to write next time. We received word a few days ago about the Yule Ball, and I do hope you decide to go. It'll be a great experience, I think. _

_I haven't heard from your brother lately, but I'm sure he's just fine. I swear, I don't know what possessed him to travel across America muggle-style. He's always been very connected with the muggle world, as have you, and I partly blame myself for that. _

_I've told your grandparents that you're spending Christmas with your boyfriend's family in Scotland, but if you could write them a Christmas card and send it to me I will make sure they get it. _

_Take care and I hope to hear from you soon_

_Love, mom_

I closed the letter with a sad smile. I missed her, and my family. They were understanding about me wanting to stay here for Christmas though. I looked up when I felt a hand on my shoulder, and my smile turned happy when I saw Cedric standing there, looking as perfect as ever. His hair was dishevelled from the wind and his cheeks were rosy from the winter cold. I had, if possible, fallen even more in love with him since our night together almost a week ago.

"Hey," I said as he sat down next to me.

"Morning," he replied and leaned in to kiss me. The moment our lips touched I pulled away with a gasp.

"You're ice cold!"

He smiled crookedly – my favourite smile – and then dropped his ice cold hands inside my shirt, on my back. My loud shrieks and curses could be heard throughout the Great Hall along side with his laughter.

--

After lunch I became a bit worried. I hadn't seen Cedric since breakfast, and he hadn't been in the Great Hall for lunch. I walked out to the Entrance Hall with a frown on my face. I still had about 15 minutes before Potions started, so I decided to look for him. When I came up to the first floor, I was stopped by a girl I recognized as a sixth-year Ravenclaw.

"Ava, Cedric wanted to meet you in classroom 11,"

I frowned at her. "He told you that?"

She nodded, a friendly smile on her face. "Yeah, he said it had something to do with the second task,"

That I could understand. The Golden Egg had given him a lot of grief the past two weeks. What I didn't understood was why he didn't tell me himself, we had after all the next class together. Shrugging, I made my way over to classroom 11.

I pushed open the door quietly, and then my arms fell to my side as I saw the scene displayed in front of me. Cedric was standing there, his arms around a girl whose face I didn't see. Her arms was around his neck, and their lips were locked in a passionate kiss.

I gasped as a strange feeling came over me. The feeling that someone had ripped out my still beating heart through my chest. The couple broke apart, and my eyes teared up when I recognized the girl. Cho.

"Ava," Cedric sounded alarmed. "It's not what it looks like,"

I gave him no chance to explain, instead I turned around and ran out of there as fast as I could. Down the marble stairs, tripping on the last step and almost falling to the floor. Across the Entrance Hall, bumping into students, and out on the grounds.

I ran until my legs no longer carried me, and then I sunk down on the ground, hugging my knees to my chest. I was sitting by the Lakeside, darkness around me. I knew that the odds of someone finding me here for slim, so I let myself break down. How could he betray me like that? Didn't my love for him mean anything? Had he been lying when he said he loved me? Lying when he made love to me?

Big sobs escaped from my lips as I struggled to breathe. I don't know how long I sat there, but it was long enough for me to loose the feeling in my legs and for my teeth to start to chatter. It _was_ winter outside, and I didn't have my thick winter cloak. I lifted my head from my knees when I hear footsteps, and even through the darkness and the tears I could make out Ethan's tall and lanky form coming towards me.

"Merlin Ava, you scared us half to death! Tara's been hysterical looking for you, and Cedric too,"

"Don't you know what happened?" I spat out, feeling no sympathy for my harsh tone. Ethan was, after all, Cedric's friend, and would most certainly take his side.

Ethan looked surprised at me. "No, Cedric only said that you were upset and that it was important that we find you. It's almost dinner time,"

Huh; that answered the question on how long I'd been sitting there. Hours. No wonder I was so cold.

"That son of a bitch cheated on me," I said through clenched teeth, managing to sound angry even with tears running down my face. "I caught him snogging Cho Chang in a classroom,"

Ethan's hazel eyes turned almost black with anger, which caused more tears to leak from my eyes. He offered his hand to me, almost as a silent apology, and I let him drag me to my feet. After sitting so long in one attitude though, my legs failed me, and I stumbled in to his side.

"Sorry," I mumbled, and he squeezed my hand.

"You have nothing to apologize for. I'm gonna have a chat with Cedric when I see him next,"

A totally irrelevant thought suddenly sprung to my attention. "Bloody hell, I missed Potions. Snape's probably furious with me,"

Ethan shook his head. "No, I told him you wern't feeling well and that I'd give you heads up on what we did today,"

"Thank you,"

I tried to stand up on my own, but once again my legs failed me. By now I was literally shaking with cold, and I could almost feel my lips turn blue. Ethan simply picked me up, bridal style, and started to walk towards the castle. I cried the entire way there, but tried to hush my sobs when I felt the warmth surround me. I didn't want to give people more to talk about, even though I knew it was useless. Secrets weren't something that was kept at Hogwarts, with all the portraits eavesdropping.

I heard Ethan mutter the password to the Common Room, and then rushed footsteps coming towards us. I lifted my head and see Tara's tear streaked face looking back at me.

"We have to get her warm," Ethan said through clenched teeth. I imagine my freezing body wasn't very nice to have curled up against you. This realization made me remember this morning, waking up in Cedric's arms, and it brought a new set of tears to my eyes. I felt so sick of crying, but I couldn't seem to care.

Ethan sat down on the couch, still cradling me in his lap. I felt someone throw a blanket over my shoulders, and wondered silently why they didn't just do a warming charm. I didn't have time to dwell on it though, as a velvety voice broke through the silence.

"Ava, you have to let me explain,"

I looked up, straight into Cedric's grey eyes. They held grief, confusion and guilt. Right now though, I didn't care.

"I think we better leave you two alone," Tara said, and she and Ethan left, giving me and Cedric some privacy.

"How could you?" I said low, anger rushing through my body. "I gave you everything I had, but it still wasn't enough, was it?"

He opened his mouth, probably to apologize, but I spoke before he had a chance to.

"I wish I'd never met you, and I don't want you near me ever again,"

The look on his face was utterly heart-breaking, but I paid no attention to it as I stood up and walked to my dorm. When I was inside the safe refugee I broke apart again. The tears I had held inside when I saw Cedric, not wanting him to see me cry over him, flooded over, and I fell onto my bed, sobbing loudly. I had lied to him, something I'd never done before. But I didn't regret anything. I only regretted not being enough for him.

--

The next week was the worst of my life. My sleep was restless, images of Cedric and Cho flew through my mind every time I closed my eyes. Instead, I spent my nights doing homework, and I swept back Invigoration Draughts like pumpkin juice just to get through the days.

Cedric didn't try to talk to me, and I changed all my seats in class so that I wouldn't have to sit next to him. Off course, the entire school knew what had happened, and I often received looks of pity in the hallway. Cho seemed happy though, and I figured she finally got what she wanted.

Ethan proved to be my knight in shining armour through this whole ordeal. He was in all my classes, and sat next to me, squeezing my hand when he saw that I was close to a breakdown. He spend his afternoons with me in the library, studying, and didn't really part from my side until it was time to sleep.

Ryan sort of kept to himself, not taking sides, but leaned more towards Cedric. He didn't want to be caught in the middle. It was stupid to think so, because if you don't choose a side, you're automatically stuck in the middle.

Tara was actually openly mean to Cedric, something that I didn't was; I simply ignored him. She did her role of best friend well, throwing Cedric evil glances, and actually laughed out loud when he got detention from Professor Binns.

The Yule Ball was approaching fast, and I nearly cried at breakfast one morning when I opened my mail and a beautiful dress fell out. The note that was attatched was from my mother, saying that she hoped that I and Cedric had a great time at the Ball.

Ethan even went so far as offering to take me to the ball, but I declined. I had already been asked by a seventh year Ravenclaw called Dylan, and I had accepted. I was determent to not let the whole mess with Cedric affect me. It was hard, but I managed to live without him.

"I'm glad that the term is over," Tara said, popping back on the couch with a sigh. It was now officially one week left to the Yule Ball, and I was beginning to feel the pressure.

"Me too," I agreed, closing my eyes and trying to get a few minutes of well needed rest.

--

The rest of the week went by fast, and before I knew it it was the day of the Yule Ball. We all (meaning me, Tara, Jennifer and Ethan) exchanged gifts in the morning, and then just relaxed until lunch.

After lunch we got engaged in a very rewarding snowball fight. Ethan somehow hexed a group of snowballs to hit Tara in the back of head every 3 minutes, and I almost fell to the ground in laughter as she chased him around the courtyard, still getting hit in the head with the snowballs.

When he had apologized, I got an idea. He was standing with his back against me, totally unaware of my evil scheme. Gathering up snow in my hands, I formed a ball and then prepared myself to throw it.

"Hey, Ethan!" I called, and the moment he turned, I threw it with full force at his head. It hit him square in the face, and that time I actually fell to the ground in laughter at the look on his face.

"Ava, we have to go and get ready," Tara called, and I looked up.

"I'm coming," I called back and stood up. "Bye Ethan, see you later," I called back, and didn't get very far before a snowball hit me in the back of the head.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so please don't hate me for this chapter, I felt that I little drama was much needed in Cedric's and Ava's lives. Your actually lucky that you're getting a chapter up today, because I'm sick. I've been bed-ridden since Friday with a cold and fever, so I'm not feeling my best at the moment. The next chapter should be up on Friday or Saturday, it depends on how bored I am (I write my chapters in advance). Anywho, I hope you liked the chapter.**

Like it? Loathe it? Love it? Let me know.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Wow, chapter 14. This fic is actually the longest fic I've ever written, and I'm really proud of it. This is the much awaited Yule Ball chapter, so I'm expecting some reviews from you. I will put on a link to Ava's dress on my profile, so be sure to check that out.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.

* * *

**Falling at my own pace**

**Chapter 14**

The moment I entered the dorm, I was jumped upon by Tara, who pushed me down on a chair and instructed me not to move. I knew better than to argue with her, so I sat still while she brushed and examined my straight hair.

A giggle was heard from the corner, and I looked over to see Jennifer sitting there, hair up in an elegant do. I smiled at her, and then winced as Tara pulled at my hair.

"I don't understand what the big fuss is about. It's not like I have to impress someone,"

"Wrong. You have a certain prick of a Quidditch captain to impress, show him what he's missing. And off course, you have to impress Dylan too,"

She picked up her wand and made some circular movements while muttering some spell under her breath.

"There, your hair is all done," she said after a minute, and I stretched my neck to get a glance at myself in the mirror. Tara however, had another plan. The moment she saw that I was looking, she raised her wand and the mirror got covered in thick black fabric.

"That's not fair," I whined.

"No looking until you're all done," she scolded, and then continued to make both me and herself ready for the night.

As she started on my make up, I saw Jennifer slip into a strapless dress made of red satin, and I smiled at her.

"You look beautiful, Jennifer,"

She blushed at my words and smoothed down her brown hair. "Thank you. Mum sent me the dress when I told her I was going,"

"Who're you going with?" Tara asked, applying a coat of mascara to my eyelashes.

"Ryan," she said, and went a deeper shade of red.

"Wow, you and Ryan. I would have never guessed," I said, wincing as Tara told me to stop talking or she'd stab me with the eyeliner.

"We're just friends though," she continued, looking a bit sad. Then she seemed to shake herself out of it. "Who're you going with Tara?"

"A guy from Durmstrang, his name is Alex. He asked me in the library last week,"

When she was finished with my make up, she ordered me to get dressed, and then disappeared into the bathroom. I reached for my dress and removed my bathrobe before putting on the dress.

It was sapphire blue, and had a sweetheart neckline with silver embroidered straps. The empire waist crossed in the front and then went out in a long flowing skirt. I put it on carefully to not mess up my hair or make up, and then stepped into the 4 inch silver heels I was wearing.

"Ava, you look beautiful," Jennifer said, her brown eyes lit up with excitement.

"Thank you," I replied and turned around, looking at myself through the now uncovered mirror.

I didn't recognize myself. Tara had made my make up stylish yet natural, with black eyeliner that made my blue eyes pop. My hair hung down my back in a cascade of curls, with the sides put up with two heavy silver hair combs.

It was with sadness that I realized that this wasn't what I wanted. I wanted Cedric. I wanted him to hold me in his arms and never let go.

I turned around when I heard Tara's voice announcing that she was ready to go, and a smile spread on my lips.

"You look great," I said, and she gave me a cheeky grin. Her dress was made of emerald green silk, and it exposed most of her back. Her long blonde hair was in a half up, half down do, and she had on sparkly earrings.

"Thanks. Shall we go?"

--

I was both excited and nervous as we walked up to the Entrance Hall. I couldn't dance to save my life, and I was nervous as hell to see Cedric, but I was looking forward to this anyway. The Entrance Hall was filled with fancy dressed people, and I looked around for Dylan.

A guy dressed in the Durmstrang red uniform came up to Tara, a toothy grin on his face.

"You look stunning," he said with a slight Bulgarian accent, kissing her hand, and Tara actually blushed.

"Thank you," she said, and winked at me before they walked off to the Great Hall. I felt Jennifer tug on my arm.

"Ava, there's Dylan,"

I looked in the direction she did, and a small grin covered my face. When his eyes locked with mine he smiled, and started to walk towards me. I did the same, walking carefully to not trip in my heels. Dylan was a good-looking guy; tall, with warm brown eyes and short black hair. Still, I found myself comparing him to Cedric.

"You look incredible," he said when we met, and kissed my hand.

I smiled. "Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself,"

He grinned and offered me his arm. "Shall we?"

I laughed, and looped my arm through his. "We shall,"

We walked into the Great Hall, and I felt the knot in my stomach become bigger. I looked up when Dumbledore's voice sounded through the Great Hall.

"Welcome students to this joyful evening. We will start the evening with a dance from our champions. Without further notice; let us begin!"

Everybody was pressed to the sides as the champions and their partners came through the doors. I nearly threw up when I saw Cho pressed tightly at Cedric's side, although I admit she looked good in her traditional Chinese dress. Cedric looked great as usual, and I unconsciously squeezed Dylan's hand a little harder. He obviously took it as a sign of affection, because he leaned down and quickly kissed my cheek.

When he looked away, I felt tears approach in my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away. I decided then not to let my emotions get the best of me, and not to let it show how much I was breaking apart inside. I wouldn't give neither Cedric nor Cho the satisfaction of seeing me hurt. I was a good actress, I could do this.

"Do you want to dance?" I asked, smiling big.

He agreed and led me out on the dance floor. We took our places, and Neville Longbottom and Ginny Weasley waltzed past us. I stifled a laugh at Neville's concentrated face, and put my hand on Dylan's shoulder. We started to dance, and I realized that he was actually a good dancer. Even though I stepped on his toes more than once, he didn't complain, only grinned at me.

I could see Cedric and Cho out of the corner of my eye, and it looked like Cedric was looking at me and Dylan. So for good measure, I pressed myself a bit closer to Dylan, even though I was uncomfortable. As I said, I was a good actress.

He tightened his hold on my waist and flashed me another smile. I barely suppressed a giggle at the look Cedric gave him before moving away. This I could do, it didn't hurt more than usual.

Soon, the Weird Sisters took over, and people really started to get warmed up. After a few more dances I was starting to get out of breath, and I left Dylan while I went outside to get some air. As I stood in the courtyard, I could feel a presence behind me that could only mean one thing. _Cedric_.

I didn't turn around, trying my best to ignore him. Still, I could feel my breathing speed up and my body became tense. After a few minutes, he spoke.

"I see it didn't take you long to find a new boyfriend," his voice was bitter and hurtful.

I turned around, anger rising within me. "You're the one who cheated on me, you don't get to say stuff like that,"

He completely ignored what I'd said, and stepped forward. "Are you sleeping with him?"

"That is none of you bloody business," I bit back. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my date,"

I started to walk past him, but he grabbed my arm, forcing me to stop. Before I could ask what he was doing, he pressed his lips hard against mine. My body responded on its own, and I started to kiss him back before I realized what I was doing.

I broke away from him quickly, staring at him in disbelief. He still looked hurt, but his face was soon twisted with anger.

"You're already putting out for every bloke who crosses your path, why not me?"

Mortified by his uncharacteristically cruel words I backed away from him. He regained his composure and stared at me, the look in his eyes feral.

"Stay the bloody hell away from me," I choked out, before going back into the castle.

I took a few moments to regain my composure, and then went into the Great Hall to find Dylan. I found him locked in a very intense conversation about dragons with Fred Weasley, and I could see from his body language that he was pretty drunk. I wondered where he'd gotten the alcohol from, and longed to get some myself. I could really use some numbing at the moment.

I trailed my hand on his shoulder, and gave him a saucy smirk when he turned around.

"You want to get out of here?" I asked, my voice laced with seduction. I hated myself for it. But I was desperate to forget about Cedric's harsh words.

A lazy grin covered Dylan's face, and he nodded. "Yeah, let's get out of here," his voice was slightly slurred, and he had to support himself a bit on me as we walked out of the Great Hall. I could feel Cedric's eyes on me, but I blankly ignored him.

--

"The view here is amazing," Dylan, who had sobered up, said, and I agreed. We were sitting in the Astronomy tower, which was a notorious place for couples to come up to late at night.

Now that I was away from the Great Hall and Cedric, I was starting to think that this might be a bad idea. That's why I let out a sound of surprise when Dylan captured my lips with his own. But after a moment I started to kiss him back, and I followed when he started to push me down on my back.

He was hovering over me, and I could clearly feel his erection against my thigh. When his hand came up to grope my breast though, I pulled away.

"Dylan, no,"

He didn't reply, only kissed me forcefully again, grounding his pelvis into my lower body. I trashed beneath him, trying to get free, but he was much stronger than I was. He pulled at the top of my dress, and the fabric made a splitting sound as it ripped. As a sign of protest, I bit his lower lip as hard as I could, and he pulled away with a scream.

"You bitch!" he yelled and backhanded me across the face. My head was snapped to one side by the force of the blow, and I could feel the cold stone floor against my cheek. I started to cry, and made more attempts to get loose.

Dylan grabbed both of my wrists in one of his hands and held them over my head, making sure that I couldn't get loose.

Somehow, he managed to pull my dress up around my thighs. When he pulled away to unzippen his pants, I brought my knee up as hard as could against his groin, and was rewarded with a scream. While he was doubled over in pain I managed to push him away and stand up, making a run for it.

I didn't come far though, as he grabbed my ankle and pulled, sending me face down to the floor. My kick hadn't been hard enough, and he was now more angry than before. He turned me over, and hit me again, with his fist this time. I could feel blood at the corner of my mouth. He had now managed to get his zipper down, and I almost threw up at the sight of erection.

He pinned my wrists above my head again, but the grip wasn't as hard as before, and I knew that I could get loose from it. When he reached up to remove my panties, I knew I had only one more chance before I was going to get raped. Clenching my left hand into a fist, I punched him in the nose as hard as I could. He screamed, and blood started to gush out.

While he was thrown of balance, I once again brought my knee up against his groin. This time it was more effective, both because I had a better angle, and because he didn't have his pants to protect his erection.

I stood up and rushed from the tower, tears streaming down my face. When I got to the foot of the stairs, I removed my shoes and then started to run down towards the common room. I heard the clock strike 11, and knew that most people would still be at the ball.

I went as fast as I could when I came to the entrance hall, and nearly sprinted down the staircase down to the common room. My tears were falling faster now when it sunk in what happened. I had almost been raped. I had almost been raped because I was too stubborn and too proud to think before acting.

I practically sobbed out the password, and then went in to the empty common room. I went to my dorm, and straight into the bathroom.

When I looked at myself through the mirror, I was in for a shock. My left cheek was bright red, with a very prominent hand print on it, and just above my cheekbone it was started to become a bit purple.

My jaw was bruised, my lower lip had split and a thin line of blood trailed down my chin. My dress was torn and my hair was messed up. I could feel a small pain in my ribs when I breathed, and when I took my dress off, I saw that they too were bruised. That happened when I landed on the floor, I gathered.

After pulling the silver combs from my hair and throwing them on the sink, I turned on the shower and removed my underwear before stepping in.

I adjusted the water to almost scolding hot, trying to wash away the memory of Dylan's hands on my body. As my sobs grew louder, I sank down on the floor, hugging my knees.

_What have I done? _Was all I could think. _What have I done?

* * *

  
_

Like it? Loathe it? Love it? Let me know.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: So as you know, has been down for the past few days, but I'm glad that it's up and running again. I honestly don't know when I'll post the next chapter since I haven't written all of it, I've hit a rough patch with this story. I will however work my butt off to get out another chapter this week, but it might not come out until the weekend.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.

* * *

**Falling at my own Pace**

**Chapter 15**

Neither Tara not Jennifer noticed my bruised face the next day, and I was happy about that. It would just lead to questions, questions I didn't want to answer. I had hidden my torn dress at the bottom of my trunk, where I knew no one would look.

After eating breakfast, I stopped in front of the marble stairs.

"Hey, I'm just gonna run up to the hospital wing for some more sleeping draught. I'll see you in the common room," I called back to Tara and Jennifer, who nodded. I made my way up towards the third floor, keeping my head down as I walked to avoid people seeing my bruised face.

When I was almost at the doors, I crashed into someone. It made my ribs hurt like hell, and I hissed in pain.

"Ava?"

I looked up, and immediately realized what a mistake that was. Standing in front of me was Cedric.

"What do you want?"

"I wanted to apologize for what I said yesterday, I was out of line,"

Inwardly I flinched as I was reminded of yesterday. "Yeah you were,"

"Can you forgive me?" he looked heartbroken, and I had to stop myself from throwing myself into his arms.

Instead, I nodded. "Yeah, I forgive you,"

As an old habit, I raised my hand to brush away my bangs from my face, and I visibly flinched when my fingers came into contact with my bruise. He looked confused at me, and then his confusion turned into anger when he saw the bruises on my face and my split lip.

"What happened to you?"

"I fell down the stairs," I quickly said. Maybe a little too quickly, because Cedric looked suspicious at me.

"You fell down the stairs?" Disbelief marred his features, and I nodded.

"Yeah, I did. You know how clumsy I am,"

He smiled, crookedly, and I felt my heart flutter. "Especially now when I'm not around to catch you,"

I froze, my whole body becoming tense, and I guess he noticed because he looked apologetically at me.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay, I'm just not...I'm not ready for you to say stuff like that,"

"Can we talk? I mean, in private?"

I nodded. "Sure. Can you meet me in the room of requirement after lunch?"

He nodded. "That's perfect," he grinned. "I'll see you later then,"

He walked off, and I looked after him for a few seconds before going into the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was standing at one of the beds, giving its occupant a brew of some sort. She looked up when I came in.

"How may I help you dear?"

"I fell down the stairs,"

"Oh dear, come here,"

I followed her lead and lay down on the bed. She drew the curtains shut and then eyed my injuries.

"Are there any more injuries?"

"I think I have bruised my ribs,"

She shook her head. "My, my. Please pull up your shirt so that I can take a look at it,"

--

I walked out of the hospital wing an hour later with no signs of last night's attack. I spent the rest of the time before lunch in the library, catching up on some homework.

After lunch I left my books in my dorm before making my way up to the fifth floor and the room of requirement. I passed the wall three times, thinking very clearly on what I wanted, and then stepped in when the door appeared.

Cedric wasn't there yet, and I sat down on the couch that suddenly appeared as I thought about it. I sat down, but shot up from it again as the door opened.

Cedric stepped in, and never broke eye contact from me as he closed the door behind him.

"Hi," he said breathlessly, as if he'd run up the stairs.

"Hey," I answered, letting a small smile graze my face.

"Can we sit down?"

I nodded. "Sure,"

I sat down and kicked off my shoes before curling my legs underneath me. Cedric sat down next to me, so close that our legs almost touched. Being this close to him without being able to touch him physically hurt, so I sat on my hands to avoid reaching out for him.

"Do you want to start?" I asked after a few moments, and he nodded.

Taking a deep breath, he then started to speak.

"I know it sounds awfully cliché, but what you saw wasn't what it looked like. Cho approached me before lunch and asked if we could talk. We went to the classroom, and she told me that she needed a tutor for her Potions class. I told her that I wasn't very good and that she should ask someone else, and then all of the sudden she kissed me. I tried to push her away, and that's when you saw us. When you'd left I saw the smirk on her face, and realized that it had all been a set up,"

I had kept my head bowed down when he spoke, and I didn't raise now either, keeping my eyes on my legs.

"Why haven't you talked to me before? It's been almost a month,"

"You said you didn't want me to come near you. Even though it killed me, I respected your wishes,"

"And today?"

"I know you didn't fall down the stairs,"

My head shot up, and panic rose within me. How had he found out?

"I don't know what happened, but I know that you didn't fall down the stairs,"

"So you decided to talk to me because you know I lied?"

He shook his head. "No, I decided to talk to you because I need you. And because I realize how much I've hurt you. You look like you've been through hell and back, Ava, and I can't stand seeing you like this. Not knowing that this is all my fault,"

I felt tears start to form in my eyes. _I need a tissue, _I thought, and almost immediately a box of tissues appeared on my lap. You just got to love the room of requirement. I wiped my eyes clean of the tears, and then looked up at him.

"Were you really trying to push her away?"

He nodded. "Yes, I was. I would never lie to you, Ava. You can give me Veritaserum if you don't believe me, I'm sure Snape would be happy to lend you some,"

That brought a small chuckle from my mouth.

"I love you. You know that, right?" he said, suddenly serious again.

I nodded. "I know. I love you too,"

"Can we try to make things work again?"

"Yes," I nodded, and felt all my love for him blossom up when he reached up to cup my cheek. I leaned into his touched and closed my eyes, sighing in contentment. My eyes snapped open when I felt his breath on my face, and reached my own hand to wrap around his neck.

His lips met mine once, twice, three times before he pulled away. The kisses were chaste, and I could see that he was waiting for me to continue. I pressed my lips against his a little firmer, breathing in the scent of him.

"This past month has been the worst time in my entire life," I said when we broke apart, and he caressed my cheek.

"The same here," he gave me a soft kiss. "I'm sorry that I was such a git,"

"I'm sorry that you were such a git too," I replied.

Cedric grinned, and I felt a big one cover my face too before I leaned down to kiss him again. Our kiss soon became heated, and he didn't object when I started to pull his sweater over his head. Our clothes soon became discarded on the floor as the couch was transformed into a bed. I felt his erection against my stomach, and caressed him gently, causing him to moan.

I moaned when Cedric stuck a finger in me, and arched my back off the bed. Doing the contraceptive spells on us, I pushed Cedric on his back, straddling him. Placing my hands on his chest, I sunk down on him. We both moaned when we were joined in the most intimate of ways. I started to move on top of him, looking deep into his eyes.

The look in Cedric's eyes, his heavy breathing and sounds of pleasure he was making made my heart swell with love, and I could feel tears form in my eyes. When Cedric noticed this, he sat up and wrapped his arms around me.

"Please don't cry. I can't stand it when you cry,"

I leaned my forehead against his and let my tears flow silently down my cheeks as I stopped moving.

"I love you so much. I can't live without you," I whispered, my fingers threading through his hair before settling on his neck. His hand came up to brush away my tears, and he gave me a soft, open mouth kiss.

"I love you too, more than you can imagine. It's been hell not to be able to talk to you, or kiss you, or touch you,"

I answered him by pressing my lips against his softly, and then I started to move slowly again. Our tongues met in a slow, sensual dance, and I arched my back, pushing our chests together.

My pleasure built up slowly, and when I was close, I tore my mouth away from his, gasping. Cedric trailed one hand down between our bodies and pressed on my most sensitive spot, sending me over the edge. As I was falling, I bit down on his neck, which caused him to fall over the edge as well.

Cedric collapsed back on the bed with me laying on his chest, both of us breathing heavily. After a few minutes of silence, I brought up the topic I'd been thinking about since he entered the room.

"Cedric?" I asked, and he hummed a reply. "What about Cho?"

I felt his body tense up beneath me, and I looked up at him. His grey eyes held many different emotions, but the most prominent one was his love for me.

"What about her?"

"Are you..." I swallowed the lump in my throat. "are you dating her?"

His chest rumbled with laughter. I looked surprised at him. What was so amusing?

"You mind telling me what's so funny?"

"I was never dating her. After you found us I told her that I loved you, and that she was a fool for thinking I'd leave you for her. She kept nagging me about going to the Yule Ball with her, so I finally gave in. I knew I couldn't go with you, and I had to have a dance partner, McGonagall said. She was a last resort. After I talked to you last night I told her that it was a mistake and that she should just leave me alone,"

My heart swelled with pride and love for him, and I leaned down to kiss him again.

"I love you, even though you've been a big prick,"

He laughed, but then his face got serious. "Will you tell me what really happened to you?"

I buried my face in his chest. "I just want to forget about it." I looked up pleadingly at him. "Please just let me forget about it,"

He nodded. "For now. But you have to tell me eventually,"

"I know," I answered. "Hey, do you know what time it is?"

"No, I don't,"

The minute he said it, a clock appeared on the wall, and I chuckled.

"Wow, this room really gives you everything you need,"

"Almost 3. We should get out of here,"

I pouted. "Do we have to?"

He laughed and kissed my nose. "Yes, we have to,"

I sighed. "Okay, then lets get up before I change my mind,"

A smirk covered his face, and he rolled us over so that he was on top before kissing me passionately.

--

It was another half an hour before we walked out of the room of requirement, both of us bright red in the face and with messy hair. I laughed when I realized that he had his sweater on inside out, and he turned it right before catching me around the waist and kissing me.

"Hey, I never got to give you your Christmas present," I said as we were on our way down to the common room, and he nodded.

"Should we exchange gifts today?"

"Why don't we wait until New Year's eve?" I suggested, and he agreed.

When we came down to the common room both Tara and Ethan were there, and they looked surprised at us. Ethan was the first one to speak.

"I take it you made up?"

I nodded. "Yeah, we did,"

Tara snickered. "I can see that,"

I frowned, and then followed her eyes to Cedric's neck. I blushed a deep scarlet when I saw the bite mark, and Cedric looked confused at me.

"Come on, I'll show you,"

I lead him towards his room, ignoring the final words Tara shouted after me.

"You better stay out of the sunlight,"

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**Like it? Loathe it? Love it? Let me know.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: See, I told you you'd get an update this weekend. You really should count your blessings, because I have tests in Social Studies, History and essays in Geography and Psychology that I need to study for (both tests and one of the essays are due Wednesday). So the next update won't come until Thursday, earliest. Without further notice; enjoy :)**

**A picture of Cedric's Christmas present to Ava will be up on my profile, so check that out.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.**

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**Falling at my own Pace**

**Chapter 16**

The few days that led up to New Year's Eve went by quickly; I spent every waking moment with Cedric, and it seemed that we were closer than before. I still hadn't told him about what happened with Dylan, and wasn't sure how to or if I even _was _going to tell him.

The morning of New Year's Eve I woke up with a chill. Sometime during the night, I had kicked off my duvet; it was currently lying on the floor. I bend down and picked it up, wrapping it around my body and trying to go back to sleep. But, off course that wasn't an option.

"Ava, get up!" Tara's voice cut through my sleep hazed mind, and I groaned.

"Let me get some bloody sleep woman," I murmured and curled up into a ball. Tara's next words thought made me jump out of bed as if I'd been burnt.

"Cedric's waiting for you in the common room." She laughed when I bounced out of bed and started to pull clothes out from my trunk. After getting dressed I took out his gift from under my bed, where it had lay forgotten for almost a month, and made my way to the common room to meet Cedric.

He was sitting on one of the black- and yellow striped couches, but sprung from his seat when he saw me, embracing me tightly and giving me a kiss.

"Merry Christmas," he teased, and I grinned.

"Merry Christmas," I replied, and then we sat down in. I handed him his gift. "Here, open my present,"

He accepted it, and I watched anxiously as he opened it.

"Ava, this is too much," Cedric said when he opened the gift and saw what lay inside. I had bought him a broomstick servicing kit, which I had post ordered from Diagon Alley.

"Rubbish. I know how much you miss Quidditch." I smiled, and he gave me a kiss.

"Open mine." he said enthusiastically, and I chuckled. He handed me a square package wrapped in green paper with a pattern of Hippogriffs on it.

I tore the paper open, and it revealed a blue velvet box. I opened the lid, and my mouth opened in shock. Inside lay a silver necklace, with a beautiful locket. The locket was heart shaped, with 'I love you' written in a flowing script. The background of the script, it seemed, was mother of pearl.

Tears appeared in my eyes as my eyes took in the beautiful necklace.

"Cedric," I whispered, looking up at him. "It's beautiful,"

He grinned. "Open it,"

I opened the locket, and fresh tears of joy came to my eyes. The tiny picture was of us, laughing at the camera and stealing kisses now and then. I looked back at Cedric, holding out the necklace to him.

"Put it on me?"

I bared my neck to him, and I felt when he slid the cool silver across my neck. He clasped it in the back, and then placed a kiss to the base of my neck. I turned around and wrapped my arms around him.

"I love you," I whispered, pressing a kiss to his lips.

"I love you too,"

--

Those of you who say that Hufflepuffs can't party has clearly never seen us at New Year's Eve. After an amazing dinner (more amazing than the one on Christmas), we gathered in the common room and by 8, a full party was raging.

A couple of seventh-years had smuggled in several cases of firewhiskey past Filch in some illegal way. The couches and tables had been pushed back against the wall to make a makeshift dance floor, where couples were now dancing while muggle rock music blared through the hidden speakers.

I tugged down the hem on my dress a little further and watched the dancing couples from the side of the room. I didn't dance, so I kept in the background. Cedric was discussing the second task with Ethan and Ryan, and my eyes was involuntarily drawn to him.

Because I was so busy looking at Cedric, I didn't notice Tara coming up to me. She grabbed my arm and tried to drag me towards the dance floor.

"Tara, stop it. I don't want to dance,"

She laughed. "Come on, Ava,"

"I can't dance Tara, you know that,"

Grinning, she held up a bottle of firewhiskey. Giving it and her a look I then grabbed the bottle from her hand and took a long swig. The alcohol burned its way down my throat, and I grimaced. The alcohol did nothing to improve my dance skills, but it did leave me with more confidence than before.

As I swayed to the music I felt a pair of hands grab my hips, and I momentarily panicked until Cedric's voice sounded in my ear.

"I thought you didn't dance,"

Spinning around, I wrapped my arms around his neck and smiled. "I don't,"

Cedric chuckled. "Then what do you call what you're doing right now?"

A cheeky grin covered my face, no doubt brought forward by the alcohol in my system. "Kissing my boyfriend." My lips met his, more forceful than I normally kissed him. I could taste butterbeer on his tongue, and was certain that he could taste the firewhiskey on mine. His arms wrapped around my waist, pressing my body closer to his. I could feel his desire for me pressing into my stomach, and pulled away slightly. "Let's get out of here," I whispered, and giggled when he pulled me towards his room.

When the clock struck 12 that night Cedric and I was blisfully in our own world, not caring about anything or anyone else.

--

A few days after New Year's eve the inevitable happened. I had just entered the common room when someone grabbed me from behind. I panicked, remembering Dylan, and a scream tore from my throat as I twirled around, my wand outstretched. I cast the first hex that came to my mind, which happened to be a leg locking hex. My hex was blocked easily, and a surprised voice was heard.

"Are you out of your bloody mind?" Cedric looked both shocked and angry, and I realized what I'd nearly done. Tears flooded in my eyes, and I lowered my wand. The tears fell faster when Cedric wrapped his arms around me. I was well aware that the common room had gone completely silent at my outburst.

Cedric picked me up and cradled me to his chest as he walked off. When he sat down on a soft surface I realized that we were in his room. "Ava, tell me what's wrong," his voice was pleading, and I clung to him. "Tell me what happened."

I took a deep breath and, between sobs, told him exactly what had happened the night of the Yule Ball. His grip on me tightened, and he gently stroked my hair.

"Ava, you have to tell the Headmaster," he said when I had stopped talking, and I shook my head.

"I just want to forget it ever happened."

"If you don't tell him, I will." His mind was set, and I sighed.

"Just let me clean up." I pushed myself off his lap and went towards his bathroom.

--

A few minutes later we went up towards Dumbledore's office, Cedric's arm securely wrapped around my waist. He stopped in front of a stone gargoyle, and spoke. "Liquorice wand." The gargoyle jumped to the side, revealing a spiral staircase. We walked up the stairs and came to a dark wooden door, on which Cedric knocked. A 'come in' sounded, and Cedric pushed the door open.

"Ah, Mr Diggory, ms Roxley, what can I do for you?" Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, his hands clasped on his stomach.

"We'd like to report an attempted assault," Cedric said confidently, and I pressed myself closer to his side.

Dumbledore's brow furrowed, and he gestured for us to sit down. "When and where did the assault occur?"

I tried to speak, but no sound passed my lips, so Cedric answered for me. "The night of the Yule Ball, in the Astronomy tower."

"Were you the object of the assault, ms Roxley?"

I nodded, pressing out a meek. "Yes,"

He sat back in his chair, giving me a thoughtful look. "It may be easier if you would allow me access to your mind with the use of Legilimency. I do not wish to pry, but with these types of accusations I must know exactly what happened. I am asking for your permission to enter your memories."

"Of course you have my permission, sir. You wouldn't ask if it weren't necessary. What do I have to do?"

He nodded his approval and pulled out his wand saying, "You will need to maintain eye contact with me, and concentrate on the night of the attack."

I concentrated on the one night I really just wanted to forget, and looked into his eyes.

"Relax. Ready? _Legilimens_."

I felt him enter mind mind, it was like a tickle inside my head. The scenes from the Astronomy tower ran through my mind like a movie, and I felt tears fall from my eyes. After a few minutes, I could feel him withdraw.

"I am terribly sorry for what you had to go through, and assure you that mr. Baker will receive proper punishment for his actions."

"Thank you sir," I whispered, brushing the tears from my eyes.

"I will contact you when the punishment has been decided. Now I think it's time for dinner, is it not?"

I took that as a sigh of dismissal, and stood up. "Thank you for your time, sir," I gave a small smile and grabbed Cedric's hand in mine. We left the Headmaster's office in silence, and went down towards the Great Hall for dinner.

When we came to the Entrance Hall, Cedric stopped me. "Are you okay?" he looked worried at me, and I nodded.

"I will be. Thanks to you I will be." I reached up and gave him a soft kiss. "Let's eat; I'm famished."

--

Two days later, I was on my way to lunch when Professor McGonagall approached me and said that the Headmaster wanted to see me. She accompanied me to his office and spoke the password (Fizzing Whizbees) before leaving me to my solitude.

I walked up the winding stairs, but didn't have a chance to open the door as it opened when I approached.

"Ms Roxley, come on in," came his voice from behind the desk.

I walked into the office and sat down in the chair that pulled itself out for me. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

He nodded. "Yes. I wanted to inform you that I had a meeting with Dylan Baker and his parents yesterday." My heart skipped a beat. "Mr Baker denied the events that occurred the night of the Yule Ball, but the evidence was clear."

"What evidence?" I asked, and he sighed.

"I extended the memory into a pensive, and let Mr. Baker's parents look at it. They were appalled by his behaviour and send you their regards."

"What happened to Dylan, sir? Was he suspended, or..." I trailed off, not daring myself to hope that he had been expelled.

"Mr Baker has been expelled; he left the Grounds this morning." I gasped. "Ms Roxley, attacking a fellow student is a serious matter, as well is attempted rape."

I nodded. "Off course. Thank you, sir. I don't think I could have handled seeing him."

"Think nothing of it, ms Roxley. The safety of my students is important to me. Now, I suggest that you go and join your friends for lunch,"

I stood up and left his office, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. When I came to the Entrance Hall, I saw a group of Ravenclaws blocking my way. I immediately recognized Cho in the group. When I passed, I heard her not-so-hushed voice.

"She's the latest Firebolt – _everyone_ rides her." Her friends laughed, and I realized that my tryst with Dylan was known, although in a false version. I knew that this would happen, so I tried to ignore it. Still, I felt my shoulders sag, and their laughter seemed to ring in my ears even as I sat down next to Cedric at the table.

He squeezed my hand, looking worriedly at me. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." Lowering my voice, I moved closer to him. What I was about to say wasn't intended for anyone elses' ears. "Dylan got expelled."

"He did?"

"Yeah. I was just talking to Dumbledore. Dylan got expelled."

"That's good, right?"

I smiled, and reached up to touch his cheek. "Yeah, that's good."

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Like it? Love it? Loathe it? Let me know.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Three things I want to say.**

**1rst: I'm sorry that I haven't reviewed, but I've been so busy that I have barely had time to write at all.**

**2nd: The outfit mentioned in the end of the chapter is up on my profile.**

**3rd: I was bored this morning, so I decided to type in "Serena" in the search engine on , just for fun. The fun part is, there is exactly 100 Harry Potter stories that features an OC called Serena. Most of those stories are either about Harry och Sirius. Just thought that was pretty funny.**

**Enough of my rambling, on with the show.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.**

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**Falling at my own Pace**

**Chapter 17**

"I forgot to ask; have you figured out the golden egg yet?" I asked Cedric as we sat in the library, studying.

"Yes, I have." He looked around to make sure that no one was listening, and put down his Quill. "It was really strange though; Moody told me to stay behind in class before the term ended and told me to put the egg underwater. I thought he'd gone mad, but decided to try it anyway. Well, that sound that was like wailing, you know? When I listened to it underwater, I realized that it was _singing_. It took me a while, but eventually I figured it out." He paused dramatically, and I nearly groaned. "Something will be taken from us, '_we've taken what you'll sorely miss', _the song said. We're going to have to swim to the bottom of the Black Lake and take back what they took."

I was gobsmacked. The first thought that came to my mind was, "How the bloody hell are you going to breathe underwater?"

Cedric looked especially proud of himself, and grinned. "_Bubblehead charm_."

"Bubblehead charm?" I raised an eyebrow, and he nodded.

"Yes. I got the idea when I was doing my Charms homework, I was just flipping through the pages of the book and when I saw the charm I knew that it was the best idea."

"I'm glad that you've already figured it out, that way you won't be so stressed about it." I reached over the table and touched his hand, smiling at him. His crooked grin appeared on his face, and my heart fluttered.

"Are you coming with to Hogsmeade tomorrow?"

I shook my head. "I have a three foot essay on Gurdyroot to do, so I'm gonna stay behind on this one. Are you going?"

"Yes I am, I have some things I have to buy." He took a look at his watch while trying to stifle a yawn. "You ready to head back to the common room?"

I nodded and stood up. After gathering our things, we began our walk down to the common room; arms wrapped around each other like always.

--

The following morning was a perfect example of a winter morning. The temperature was just a few degrees below freezing, the snow lay thick on the ground, sparkling from the sunshine. I followed Cedric and Ethan to the gates, relishing in the fresh air. After giving Ethan a smile and Cedric a kiss I made my way back up to the castle.

I walked up to the library slowly, enjoying the fact that the castle was almost empty. The only students I met on my way were a few first-year Hufflepuffs, and I smiled kindly at them. I was just nearing the library when I saw Cho Chang coming towards me. She stopped in front of me, a sneer on her face.

"What do you want, Cho?" I asked tiredly, hoisting my bag higher on my shoulder.

"I just wanted to tell you that I know that you let Dylan shag you at the Yule Ball. You're nothing but a slut."

If she was waiting for me to get angry, maybe cry, she was sorely mistaken. Instead, a laugh tore from my throat. She looked surprised at me, and I focused my gaze on her.

"You're really pathetic, you know that right? You know nothing about what happened between me and Dylan, and neither is it any of your business. You're just jealous because Cedric rejected you. Twice. Well tough luck Cho, because he's with me, and that's not going to change anytime soon."

She looked like she was about to boil over with anger, and before I knew it she had drawn out her wand. "_Levicorp-"_

"What is going on here?" a velvety voice came from behind me, and I whipped my head around so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash. Standing there was Professor Snape, looking as scary as usual.

"Nothing, Professor," Cho said innocently, quickly lowering her wand. The Potions Master's eyes was locked with mine though, and I suddenly got the strange feeling that he could read my mind. Breaking the eye contact, he looked at Cho.

"It appears, Miss Chang, that you were about to hex a fellow student, is it not?"

"No sir, I wasn't."

A sneer crossed Professor Snape's lips. "10 points from Ravenclaw for attempting to hex a fellow student, and another 10 for lying about it to my face. You are to report for detention in my office at 8 o'clock tonight."

Cho's face went red, and I suppressed the urge to laugh at her. "Yes, Professor," she whispered, her eyes downcast.

"Good, now move along." He strode past us, his robes billowing out behind him like usual, and I silently thanked him. Cho gave me a lethal look, and then hurried past me, cursing in Chinese.

I chuckled to myself, and then went into the library to study. I found an empty table in the back, away from where the younger students were sitting. I took out my things and got to work.

--

Most students came back to the school in time for lunch, and I smiled when I saw Cedric sitting at the table, discussing something with Ethan. I had just finished my Herbology essay, and was feeling extremely good about it. Sitting down in the empty seat next to Cedric, I touched his shoulder gently to signal my arrival.

"Hi," I breathed, a smile coming on to my face as his eyes locked with mine.

"Hey," he replied, the smile on his face matching my own as he leaned forwards to give me a kiss. "Did your studying go well?"

I nodded. "It did. Did you find what you were looking for in Hogsmeade?"

"Yes I did."

"You bought me a birthday present, didn't you?" I teased, and he laughed.

"I'm not saying anything."

"When's you're birthday?" Ethan asked, sticking a carrot into his mouth.

"On Saturday," I answered him, and then turned to Cedric. "Hey, do you want to go outside after lunch? The weather is beautiful?"

A laugh escaped his mouth. "Sure why not."

We ate pretty quick, and then went back to the common room to put on warm clothes. It wasn't long until we were walking through the thick snow, laughing and enjoying each others company. Ever since I was a little girl, I had loved the snow.

Getting a sudden impulse, I started to spin around. Around and around, with my arms stretched out from my body and my face turned up towards the sun. I spun around until I was so dizzy I couldn't stand up, and then fell backwards down into the snow. I closed my eyes to make the dizziness go away, and felt someone come stand next to me.

When everything had stopped spinning, I opened my eyes and looked up. Cedric was standing on my right, blocking the sun from my eyes with his body. The sunlight made him look almost out of this world, like an angel or something. I smiled at him, and accepted his outstretched hand. But instead of letting him drag me to my feet, I pulled, sending him crashing to the ground next to me. I laughed at his surprised face and at the way the snow attached itself to his eyebrows and eyelashes.

"You think that's funny, huh?" his voice was low and husky and send shivers down my spine.

"Uh, no?" I yelped when he rolled over closer to me and pressed his cold lips against mine. My hands came up to rest around his neck, pulling him closer to me. Being sandwiched between the cold fluffy snow and Cedric's warm hard body created wonderful feelings in the pit of my stomach, and when we broke apart to breathe I smirked at him.

"Let's go inside."

--

The week leading up to my birthday went by relatively fast, and I awoke on Saturday morning with a good feeling in my stomach. I sat up and noticed several presents by the foot of my bed. After opening the presents from my family and friends I got dressed and headed down for breakfast. When I came up to the Entrance Hall I was almost tackled to the ground by Tara, who embraced me tightly.

"Happy birthday, Ava," she shrieked in my ear, and I laughed.

"Thank you Tara,." I stepped back and brushed my bangs from my eyes. "Have you seen Cedric?"

She shook her head. "No I haven't. Maybe he's still sleeping," she suggested.

"Maybe." Somehow I doubted the Cedric was sleeping; he was an early riser, and it was already 10 o'clock. I knew that something was up with Tara as well, since she wouldn't meet my eyes. She only did that when she was hiding something from me.

The rest of the day went by quickly, Tara dragged me to the library to help her with her Charms homework and didn't leave my side the entire day. I still hadn't seen Cedric, and I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. Had he forgotten that it was my birthday? As we were going down to dinner, Tara stopped me.

"Can you go and leave my book bag in our dorm? It's so heavy."

I snorted. "Get bend, go and leave it yourself. I'm not your bloody slave." My mood had gone down extremeley since this morning, even though I was now technically an adult in the Wizarding world.

"Ava, please." She widdened her eyes and gave me the puppy dog look she knew I couldn't resist. I took the bag from her and stomped down to the common room, muttering curses under my breath.

I dropped her bag off on her bed, and was just about to leave when I saw an envelope sitting on my pillow. I took a closer look at it and noticed that my name was written on it in Cedric's cursive writing. I grabbed the envelope and opened it, sitting down on my bed at the same. I unfolded the paper that lay within the envelope, and read the paper.

_Dear Ava, _it read

_I would be happy if you could honour me with you presence this evening, in celebration of your birthday. __Meet me outside the Room of Requirement at 7 o'clock._

_Yours Always, Cedric. XOXO_

I turned the paper over, searching for something else written on the paper, but it was empty. This was even more confusing. Then everything fell into place. Tara's weirdness and determination to keep me by her side the entire day, Cedric's absence.

I looked up when the door opened, and my eyes narrowed when I saw who it was. Tara gave me a sheepish smile, and leaned her back against the closed door. We stared at each other for a few minutes, and then her face widened in a smile.

"We have to get you ready." She went to the foot of my bed and rummaged through my trunk.

"Why?"

"Because Cedric's planned something special." A wicked grin was on her face, and I chuckled.

"Okay, now I'm afraid."

"Don't be. Just get in the shower and then come back here so that I can start."

--

When I got out of the bathroom and saw what Tara had lain out on my bed, my mouth opened in shock. The lace underwear set she had put out on my bed looked like it could barely cover me, although I admit I liked the royal blue color. I felt a gush of air that meant that Tara had magically dried my hair, and I shook my head at her.

"I am not wearing that."

She sighed. "Come on Ava, you want to look good for Cedric, don't you?"

She had me there. "Fine," I sighed. Shedding the towel I had wrapped around my body, I put on the underwear. I was not shy to show my body to Tara, though I stole a worrying glance at the door when I had dressed. Picking up my dressing gown I put it on and tied it securely at my waist before sitting down on the chair Tara had pulled out.

"Okay, work your magic."

An hour later, I was done and ready to go. If possible, I felt even more beautiful than I did at the Yule Ball. Maybe because this time I knew I was spending the evening, and possibly the night, with the man I loved instead of with someone I barely even liked.

"Thank you Tara," I smiled, giving her a hug.

She laughed. "No problem. Cedric's going to lose it when he sees you."

I glanced over at myself in the mirror, and couldn't help but to notice that I looked good. I had on a royal blue baby doll dressed made of chiffon, with a satin band around my waist. Over it I had on a white knit shrug to keep my arms warm, and blue heels were on my feet. I put on the necklace I got from Cedric at Christmas, and a pair of mother of pearls earrings.

Tara smiled at me. "You're ready to go."

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**Like it? Loathe it? Love it? Let me know.**

**A/N 2: Two things I forgot to say: I have a new poll up, so be sure to check that out, and I just had to add Snape in this chapter, because he is by far my favourite character in the Harry Potter fandom (with Cedric coming in on a close second, off course) **


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: I am so, so sorry that I haven't updated nearly three weeks, it wasn't my intention at all. I've just been so busy, RL has been a bitch and I haven't been feeling very well. The next update might take some time too, because I haven't started on the next chapter. But, I hope to have the next chapter up within two weeks. Enjoy, and don't forget to review.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.

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**

**Falling at my own Pace**

**Chapter 18**

I tried not to run up to the fifth floor, knowing that running in heels was a bad idea for me. Instead, I walked at a dignified slow pace, every few seconds drying off my sweaty palms on my dress. I had no idea what Cedric had planned, and I didn't like surprises. The few people I met on my way looked strangely at me, but I ignored them. All I wanted was Cedric. The corridor on the Seventh floor was abandoned, and the only light came from the torches on the wall. As I came closer to the place I knew the door was, I saw that someone was waiting for me. I inhaled deeply, feeling a rousing in my stomach as I lay eyes on the person. It was Cedric. The torch light cast shadows around his face that made him look dangerous, and if I hadn't known him I would have been scared. But his mouth widened in a crooked grin when he saw me, and that broke the illusion. The sound of my footsteps echoed in the corridor as I started to walk towards Cedric, trying my best not to break out in a run. When I reached him, I saw that he was dressed in his dress robes, and he nearly took my breath away.

"Hi." Cedric pulled me in for a hug, and I wrapped my arms tightly around him.

"Hey," I breathed, leaning my forehead against his.

"Happy birthday." He gave me a gentle kiss.

"Thank you," I replied, standing back. "I should have known something was up when Tara convinced me to spend the entire day in the library.

He chuckled. "I'm sneaky that way. You look absolutely beautiful, by the way."

"You don't look so bad yourself. Are we going in?" I gestured for the empty wall on my left, and Cedric nodded. He walked past the space three times, a look of concentration on his face. Then, a slim door appeared, and he opened it.

"Ladies first." His crooked grin was back, and I felt myself becoming momentarily dazed before I regained my composure. I walked into the room, feeling a bit nervous about what I would find. When I saw the room, I gasp escaped my lips. The room was pretty big, with dark walls and a fireplace on one wall. In the middle of the room stood a big bed with black satin sheets. In front of the fireplace stood a plush couch, which looked very comfortable. The only light in the room came from the fireplace, casting a soft orange glow over the room. I suddenly realized that this was what I wanted for tonight. Since I had gone in first, the room adjusted itself to fit my needs.

"Cedric, it's beautiful!" His arms encircled me from behind, and he pressed a kiss to my exposed neck.

"You're the beautiful one." I spun around in his arms, a grin covering my face. I reached up to kiss him properly, but he pulled away before it could get too heated.

"If you keep that up you're going to spoil my plans."

"What if I want to spoil your plans?"

Cedric chuckled. "Trust me, you don't." Taking my hand he lead me over to the couch, and sat me down next to him. I kicked off my shoes and folded my legs underneath me. He took out a small, rectangular item from his pocket and then tapped it with his wand. The item grew bigger before my eyes and I saw that it was a rectangular package, wrapped in shiny red paper. He handed it to me with a smile. "Open it."

I opened it quickly, anxious to see what he had bought for me. When the paper fell away, I gasped. Inside lay a first edition of _The French Lieutenant's Woman._

"Do you like it? I know that John Fowles is your favourite author." I looked up at Cedric with tears in my eyes. He was twisting his hands in his lap, and I reached out to take his hand in my own.

"I love it, thank you." He grinned crookedly and squeezed my hand. I placed the book behind me on the couch, and then leaned forward and pressed my lips against his. My free hand tangled in his hair, pressing him closer to me. I traced my tongue along the seam of his lips, and felt goosebumps break out on my skin when the tip of his tongue met mine. His hand cupped my face, stroking his thumb over my cheekbone. Not missing a beat in our kissing, I crawled closer to him and straddled him.

His hands wandered down to my hips, pressing me down harder on him. I started to rock to and fro, moaning into his mouth when the zipper of his trousers hit me just right. One of his hands left my hips and travelled down to my thigh, below my dress. He started to move it upwards, and smiled against my mouth when I gripped his hair tighter.

I could feel his erection straining against my center, and reached down to caress him. He gave an almost comically loud groan, and trailed his hand over my mound. I continued to caress him, but found that my movement was limited because I was pressed so close to him. Moving back, I crawled off his lap and stood up. He looked confused at me for a second before he saw what I was doing. Reaching down, I pulled my dress up and over my head, throwing it on the floor. His eyes were nearly black with desire as the roamed over my body.

"You're exquisite."

I smirked at him, and quietly mumbled a charm that Tara had taught me. In an instant all of Cedric's clothes vanished, leaving him naked on the couch. The look in his eyes told me that he had not been expecting that, and it made me chuckle. I quickly sobered though, and trailed my eyes over his body. He sure was beautiful. I felt my body responding to just the mere sight of him, and quickly shed my underwear too.

We were now both as naked as the day we were born, just staring at each other. My body tinged with anticipation, and I walked slowly back to him, a smirk on my face. I crawled up onto his lap, moaning slightly when I pressed against the hardness of his thigh. His hands came up to my waist, and he swiftly picked me up and placed me directly over his erection. He hovered for a few seconds, and I was just about to go mad with want when he pulled me down on him. A groan fell from my lips, and I threw my head back.

"Fuck." He muttered, shifting his hands down to my ass to pull me down deeper and harder. The only time he cursed like this were when we were intimate, I had noticed, and I filled with womanly pride that I could make him loose enough control for him to drop the f-bomb. Our eyes locked, but I hard a hard time keeping my eyes open when he hit that particular spot inside me that made me see stars. "Put your arms around my shoulders." He commanded through clenched teeth, and I did as he asked. When I was securely wrapped around him he stood up, and I wrapped my legs around his waist to keep him inside me.

He went in the direction of the bed, but somewhere along the way he changed his mind, and we ended up against a wall. I cried out; this new position forced him deeper in me than ever before. I arched my back off the wall, digging my nails into his shoulders.

"Cedric...harder," I groaned, and then bent down my head and fastened my mouth on his. His lips swallowed my cries as he doubled his efforts. He knew my body better than I knew it myself, and when he felt that I was starting to get close one of his hands left my ass and reached around between us, rubbing my sweet spot. At the same time he started to suck on my neck. I fell over the edge with a sharp cry, and as I came down from my high I felt him explode inside me. I slowed down my movements, and I stroked his cheek.

"I love you," I whispered. Talking louder than that seemed inappropriate.

"I love you too," he responded, and then kissed me.

--

Sometime during the evening we shifted over to the bed, where we made love again. That time was slow, leisurely but still intense. I was at the moment almost a sleep, laying on my back with Cedric's head resting on my chest. I loved the feeling of his body on top of mine; it made me feel safe. I was stroking his hair slowly, when he spoke up.

"I can hear your heartbeat." He looked up at me, and the corners of my mouth tugged up into a smile.

"It's beating for you."

"And mine for you." His crooked grin was on his face, and he leaned up to kiss me. His fingers raked through my hair and before I knew it he flipped us over so that I was on top.

"It's only a month left until the next task," I said, and shivered. His hand was tracing circles on my lower back, and it sent wonderful feelings to the very core of me.

"I'm glad you've already figured it out."

"Me too. It means I get to spend more time with you." He pushed up his hips against mine, and I could clearly feel his erection against my stomach.

I laughed. "Again? I swear Cedric, sometimes I think you only keep me around for the sex."

He grinned, a teasing glint in his grey eyes. "Off course I do, what did you think?"

I sat up on him, and grounded my hips into his growing erection. "I won't disappoint you then."

--

We were met with cat calls when we walked through the portrait hole the next morning by the older students, and I looked up at Cedric frowning. Then it dawned on me. It was 2 pm on a Sunday afternoon, and we were wearing wrinkly clothes that anyone could see had been on (and off) for a while. I felt my face turn red, and was grateful when Cedric took my hand in his and dragged me towards the dorms.

"I'm never going to be able to face anyone of them ever again," I said when we were in the sanctuary of Cedric's room, throwing myself onto his bed.

"At least now the blokes know to stay away from you." I gave him a look that clearly said that I'm _not _amused, but he only laughed at me.

"Do you really think they know we spent the night together?"

He smirked. "Definitely. If our clothes didn't tip them off the massive hickey on your neck sure did." His laughter followed me as I jumped off from the bed and went in to the bathroom to check it out.

--

After dinner I met up with Tara up in the Astronomy tower. I had been there a handful of times with Cedric to shake off my fear, and I could now be there without being reminded of that night with Dylan.

"We need to have some girl talk." Tara announced, reaching into her bag and taking out a pint of ice cream and two spoons.

"What do you want to talk about then?" I accepted the ice cream from her and took a spoonful, bringing it up to my mouth. _Mmh, strawberry. _

"About you and Cedric off course. You really haven't told me anything about your relationship."

"I've told you everything!" I argued.

She shook her head vigorously. "Um, no." A smirk covered her face. "You haven't told me about the sex."

I blushed, but met her eyes anyway. "What do you want to know?"

"Is it any good?"

I nodded, still a bit embarrassed. I wasn't the 'kiss and tell' type. "It's amazing."

"I figured." I raised an eyebrow. "Come on, that boy just oozes good in bed, and you know it." It was a bit disturbing to hear her talk about my boyfriend like that, but I shook off the feeling. "Do you think he's the one?"

I nodded again. "I think so. I love him so much it almost scares me. I don't want to be apart from him, ever. What happened over Christmas nearly killed me."

"I can tell that he feels the same way. I'm sure the two of you are going to get married after we leave Hogwarts."

I shrugged. "I don't know. I've never really wanted to get married before I met Cedric. Now, I don't know." I looked down at my watch. "We should get back, it's getting late." Tara agreed, and we went down to the common room.

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**Like it? Loathe it? Love it? Let me know.**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I don't know if I've lost readers because of the long wait for the last chapter, because I haven't gotten any reviews though it's been 5 days. I'm pretty sad that people seems to be giving up on me, because I really am working as hard as I can. Remember, reviews are my best friend. The next chapter might be up on Sunday or earlier. Also, Springbreak is next week, so I'll probably get out 2 chapters then. Please, please don't forget to review. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.

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**Falling at my own Pace**

**Chapter 19**

February continued on the same. The snow still lay thick on the ground, which nearly drove the teachers mad when they had to break up snowball fights because someone had hexed the snowballs. It was the night before the second task, and I was laying in Cedric's arms on a sofa in the common room. It was lively, and I snuggled deeper into his chest to try to block out the noises. I was almost asleep when a hand shook me gently. I popped open my eye and looked up at Cedric.

"Why did you wake me? I was almost asleep." I sounded grouchy, and he chuckled.

"Ernie had something he wanted to tell you."

I turned my head to face the room and saw Ernie MacMillan stand there, looking like he thought he was very important. I raised my eyebrows at him, signaling for him to say what he had to say.

"Professor McGonagall wants to see you in her office. Now." He offered a smile, and then left to go sit with Hannah Abbott.

I sighed and sat up, running a hand through my hair. "I'll hurry back, okay?" I told Cedric, who nodded.

"I'll leave the door open for you." I leaned forward and gave him a kiss before leaving the common room.

I hurried up to McGonagall's office, not wanting to keep her waiting. When I got up to her office on the second floor I noticed that it had started snowing again, and sighed. That meant it would be cold as hell outside tomorrow. I felt for Cedric and the other Champions who had to jump into the Black Lake in the middle of winter.

Knocking lightly on the door, I waited until I heard McGonagall's stern voice calling out for me to enter. I did, and saw that I was not the only student there. Sitting in an armchair in front of the desk was a small girl with long pale blonde hair, who looked like a spitting image of Fleur. In the seats next to her sat Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, whose face turned red when I stepped in.

"You wanted to see me, Professor?" I said, shutting the door behind me.

"Yes, please sit down Ms Roxley. Would you like some tea?"

"No, thank you." I said as I sat down. It wasn't until then I noticed that both Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape was standing in a corner, watching us. Dumbledore had a twinkle in his blue eyes whilst Snape looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here. I gave them both a respectful nod before turning my attention back to McGonagall.

"Now that you are all here I can tell you what this is all about. As you know, tomorrow the second task takes place. Something will be taken from each one of the champions, the thing they would miss the most. The four of you are the thing they will miss the most. I think you can figure out for yourself who is going to miss you." She reached into the desk drawer and took out four small vials, filled with a soft blue liquid. "When you drink this, you will be put in an enchanted sleep. The spell will end the moment you rise above the water surface tomorrow. I assure you that you will come to no harm, Dumbledore and Professor Snape as done an excellent job with the potion." She handed each one of us the small vials. The smooth glass felt cool in my hand, and I stroked my thumb over it. "Are you ready?"

I nodded silently. Hermione Granger answered with a loud and clear 'yes'; Ron Weasley nodded, his face ashen, and the blonde girl mumbled a quiet 'oui'. Removing the tap, I brought the vial to my lips and drank its content in one gulp. It warmed me from the inside, and I could already feel my eyes drop. The last thing I remember before falling into a deep sleep was the sound of a body hitting the stone floor.

--

I woke up with a jerk, and in a moment of panic I started flaying my arms and legs around in the cold water. Then, an arm attached itself to my waist and a low voice spoke in my ear.

"Calm down Ava, I've got you." Recognizing Cedric's voice, I stopped making resistance, and instead started to swim towards the beach. When I was on dry land I collapsed on the ground, coughing up the water that had gotten into my lungs. I was still in my thin school robes, and I was starting to shake from the cold.

A thick wool blanket was thrown over my shoulders, and I looked up to see Cedric sitting next to me, wrapped in an identical blanket. I scooted over closer to him, stroking my wet hair back from my face.

"Did you do it okay?"

He nodded. "I'm the first one back, though I was one minute over the time limit."

"They can't take away too much points from that since you're the first one here." I wrapped my arms around him the best I could. "I'm proud of you."

He grinned crookedly and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on my lips. "I love you."

I was just about to respond when Madam Pomfrey's voice was heard. "We have to get them out of the cold Dumbledore, or they'll catch their deaths out here."

"Calm down my dear Poppy, I doubt they will have to stay out any longer."

I heard Madam Pomfrey give a snort, and stifled a giggle. Another chill went through my body, and Cedric looked concerned at me.

"Come here." He opened up his blanket and I snuggled up at his side. He closed the blanket over us, and I could already feel myself starting to warm up.

After what seemed like an hour, Dumbledore announced that all the champions had come up from the lake. I was so tired and cold that didn't pay attention until they called out the scores. When Cedric's scores was called, a bright smile appeared on my face.

"47 points! Ced, that's great!" I couldn't hide my enthusiasm, and threw myself at him, pressing my lips tight against his. He smiled against my mouth and moved a hand up to my hair, which had turned to ice in the cold. I heard footsteps, and Madam Pomfrey's voice sounded again.

"Come on dears, lets get you inside and warmed up."

I broke apart from Cedric and stood up, stumbling a bit before my numb legs cooperated with me. I felt Cedric wrap his arm around my waist, and smiled at him. Together with the other champions and their friends we walked up to the castle. Madam Pomfrey walked ahead of us, and I could hear her muttering below her breath.

"Insane...sending children out in the cold...freezing water..."

We were all led to the hospital wing where thicker blankets, hot tea and warming draughts were waiting for us. After performing warming charms on all of our clothes, we were instructed to stay put. I sat down on a bed next to Hermione Granger and accepted a cup of tea from Madam Pomfrey.

"What a day, huh?" I said, taking a careful sip of my tea.

"I agree. It feels a bit strange, like your whole rhythm have been disrupted because of the magical sleep," she answered, pushing a piece of bushy hair behind her ear.

"I feel the same. I'm going to have a hard time sleeping tonight." My eyes followed Cedric as he stood and spoke to Harry, and I couldn't help the smile that was on my face. As if he realized I was watching him, Cedric turned his gaze towards me. His grey eyes lit up and the corners of his mouth turned up into a crooked grin.

"You are a cute couple," came Hermione's voice, and I turned back to look at her.

"Thank you. If you don't mind me asking, is there something going on between you and Viktor Krum?"

She turned red, and shook her head. "No, there isn't. I'm not even sure if I want it to be something. How do you know if you want it to be with someone?"

"You just do. Do you happen to know what time it is?"

"It's 11.30," came a masculine voice to my right, and I turned my head. Ron Weasley was standing there, his face completely red. I could hear Hermione snort behind me.

"Thank you," I smiled, and stood up. "I'll see you later Hermione, Ron." I made my way over to Cedric, now in full control of my limbs, and placed a hand on his shoulder. He immediately drew me close to him, placing a kiss at the top of my head.

"Hey you." He smiled, and I pressed myself closer to him.

"Hey yourself. When does classes start again?"

"After lunch."

I groaned. "Double Potions...I'm seriously going to fall asleep."

Cedric looked concerned at me. "If you want, I could ask Professor Snape if we can be excused from today's class. We're both ahead of anyone else anyway."

"Could you do that? That would be great." He leaned down and kissed me softly.

"For you Ava, anything."

--

I was dead tired when I staggered down to the common room an hour later.

I had waited in the hospital wing for Cedric as he went to talk to Snape, conversing slightly with Fleur who was getting treated for the burns from the Grindylows. The conversation wasn't too easy since I didn't speak a word of French and her English was so heavy with accent that it was almost impossible to understand her. After Cedric came back we had gone to the Great Hall for lunch. He looked as tired as I felt, and I could tell it took almost all his energy to keep a smile on his face when people came up to congratulate him.

I couldn't wait to get some well needed rest, and I stopped Cedric before he went into his room. "I'll be over in a minute, okay?" He nodded, and we parted ways. I fought with my body to stay awake as I grabbed my nightgown and then walked over to Cedric's room.

He had already changed when I arrived, and the sight of his bare chest and arms had the same effect on my body as he always had. I changed into my nightgown in silence, and dropped my clothes on a chair before joining him in bed.

He snuggled up behind me, his arm securely wrapped around my waist, and his nose buried in my hair. As I scooted back to get closer, I could feel him hard and ready at the small of my back.

"As much as I'd like to ravish you," I said, my voice already dropping with sleep, "I'm afraid I'd fall asleep in the middle of it. Save it for when we wake up." His chest rumbled with a chuckle, and he placed a kiss on my neck.

"Whatever you say dear,"

I gave a very unlady-like snort at the endearment. "Goodnight Cedric."

"Goodnight Ava."

I could already feel my body slip into sleep, and I welcomed it gladly.

--

"Dammit! What's wrong with me?" I cried, putting my head in my hands and trying to stop the tears that was falling down my face. It had been a few days since the second task, and I had started to feel weird. I was tired all the time, and got easily upset. The tiredness I shrugged off as a cold, and got some pepper-up potion from Madam Pomfrey.

"Nothing's wrong with you. You're a teenager Ava, our hormones gets like this sometimes," Cedric said comforting, rubbing a hand over my back.

"I hate you you know for always being so bloody level-headed."

He only laughed. "Love you too, Ava. Now what do you say we go to the library and try to start on our Charms paper? It'll take your mind off things."

I looked up at him, and sighed. "Fine, let me just wash up."

--

As I walked from the greenhouses on Friday morning a voice stopped me in my tracks. I turned around, and was blinded by a photo flash. When the little spots in my vision had disappeared I saw who it was that had called my name. In front of me stood an older woman with curly blonde hair, a heavy jaw and rhinestone glasses. She was clutching a crocodile-skin handbag in her hand, and she smiled, revealing three gold teeth. I knew who this woman was. Rita Skeeter.

"Ms Roxley, I was wondering if I could steal a moment of your time?"

I shook my head and continued to walk up to the castle. "I'm sorry Ms Skeeter, but I don't have the time, my next class starts soon."

"I assure you, it will only take a moment."

I sighed, knowing that she wouldn't give up. I knew it was probably not a very good idea, but I stopped. "Fine, but make it quick."

She smirked, and took out a piece of parchment and an acid green quill from her bag. "Okay, let's start. How do you feel about Harry getting almost as high of a score as Cedric in the second task when Harry was so over the time limit?"

"I think that he deserved every point he got."

"And just how do you feel that he's even in the competition since he is underage? He **is **threatening Cedric's chances of winning?"

"I don't know how many times people have said this, but I don't believe that Harry put his name into the goblet of fire. Even if he did, it's over and done with. It can't be changed."

"And what are your relationship exactly with Cedric Diggory?"

Aha, I knew there was something she wanted. "That is between me and him. If you'll excuse me, I have to get to class." I stormed up towards the castle, my anger boiling up inside of me. The students I met swiftly moved out of my face, probably sensing that I'd hex anyone who came in my way.

I was five minutes late to my History of Magic class, and walked in as silently as I could. Professor Binns didn't even realize I was late. I sat down in the empty seat next to Cedric, picking up my books and violently threw them on the desk. Cedric looked at me, a frown marring his perfect features.

"What's gotten your wand in a knot?"

"Rita Skeeter," I spat.

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Like it? Loathe it? Love it? Let me know.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: I promised you a chapter today, and here it is :) I hope you like it. The next chapter may come up on Monday or Tuesday

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.

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**Falling at my own Pace**

**Chapter 20**

"Look at this!" Tara exclaimed as she sat down at the breakfast table on Saturday morning. She held the Daily Prophet in her hands, and handed it to me. I looked at it, and back stared a picture of me; the same picture Rita Skeeter's photographer had taken yesterday. The headline made me frown; "Two champions under her spell".

I started to read the article, and my frown got deeper with every sentence I read. _'Ava Roxley, a beautiful sixth-year Hufflepuff girl, says this in the exclusive interview with Rita Skeeter; 'It's a shame for everybody in the wizard world that they are letting Potter compete in the Tournament. He's three years too young, and gets unfairly high scores from the judges because of it. His performance at the second task proved this, when he got almost a full score despite the fact that he was an hour over the time limit'. Roxley also admits to a romantic relationship with none other than the Hogwarts champion Cedric Diggory. Diggory, who is the captain and seeker on Hufflepuff's Quidditch team, was spotted on Christmas with Ravenclaw's Cho Chang on his arm. Is this a love triangle? Or maybe there's a fourth party involved. Reliable sources have linked together Roxley and a former Ravenclaw named Dylan Baker. Baker was expelled after the Christmas break, and our source claims it came from a false accusation. 'They hooked up, and when Diggory found out, Roxley cried rape', says our source. Can this be the end of the Roxley/Diggory love?'_

I looked up, shock marring my face. "How did she found out about Dylan?" I asked Cedric, and Tara's eyes got wide. Damn. I forgot she didn't knew.

"It's true?" she said, her voice a bit to loud for my liking.

"At the night of the Yule Ball, he tried to rape me in the Astronomy tower," I replied low, making sure that only she heard me. Tears appeared in her eyes, and I squeezed her hand. "Don't fret on it Tara, it was almost three months ago. I'm over it." I looked out over the Great Hall, where most of the students were looking at me. Some with pity in their eyes, some with anger, and some with disgust. I noticed Harry, Hermione and Ron sitting at the Gryffindor table, a Daily Prophet in Harry's hands, and stood up. "I'll be right back."

I walked over to them, and cleared my throat. They looked up at me, and I was surprised to see that none of them looked angry.

"I just wanted to tell you that what Rita Skeeter wrote is completely bull."

Harry nodded. "I know. Hermione said that you'd never say something like that, and I know Rita Skeeter. She'll twist your words and make up things to fit the story." He paused, not sure if he should continue or not. "If anything in that article is true, I'm sorry." I knew he was referring to Dylan, and gave a small nod.

"Thanks Harry. Have fun in Hogsmeade." I went back to join my friends when a wave of nausea hit me. Covering my mouth with my hand, I sprinted out of the Great Hall and towards the nearest bathroom. I found one rather quickly, and emptied the contents of my stomach into the porcelain bowl. As I retched, I could feel someone pulling my hair back and rubbing smooth circles on my back. When there was nothing left to throw up I leaned my sweaty forehead against the cool porcelain, letting it cool me down.

"Are you okay?" Cedric asked, his voice concerned.

"I'm fine. Must have been a stomach bug or something." I looked up at him. "I'm gonna skip Hogsmeade."

"It's probably for the best if you rest. Come on, I'll walk you back to the common room." He helped me stand up, and I rinsed out my mouth before going with him to the common room.

"I'm gonna crash in your room if that's alright with you," I asked, and he nodded.

"Off course. Stay as long as you feel like it." He kissed my forehead. "I'll see you after lunch, okay?"

"Have fun." He left, and I lay down on the bed, fighting the nausea I was still feeling. Bringing out my wand, I transfigured a sock into a bucket, in case I should feel sick again. I would have to go to Madam Pomfrey to see if she could get me something for the nausea later, but at the moment I was too tired to move. Instead, I fell asleep.

--

"Happy anniversary." I was met with a kiss on Tuesday morning, and a smile stretched over my face.

"Happy anniversary," I said back, kissing him properly. Just when the kiss was getting heated, I felt another wave of nausea hit me, and I pushed him away before making a bee-line to the bathroom. When I came back out, Cedric had already gotten dressed.

"You need to go and see Madam Pomfrey about that," were the first words out of his mouth, and I nodded.

"I was planning on doing it after lunch."

"I could go with you if you want," he offered, but I shook my head.

"I'd prefer going alone, actually." I smiled at him. "Let's get down to breakfast, okay?"

My lessons before lunch went by pretty fast. I only felt slight nausea, but not enough to cause me to throw up. Knowing I wouldn't be able to keep anything down, I skipped lunch and went straight to the hospital wing.

Madam Pomfrey greeted me with a smile. "How can I help you dear?"

"I haven't been feeling well lately, and wondered why."

"Come and lie down and we'll figure this out." She led me to an empty bed and pulled the curtains closed around us. "Now dear, could you tell me how you've been feeling?"

"I've been throwing up since Saturday, and I get emotional very easily. I've also missed my period, but I've been stressed lately so it could be that."

Madam Pomfrey looked at me, her brow furrowed, and I instantly wondered what was wrong. When I asked, she said the most unexpected thing ever. "Tell me ms Roxley, are you sexually active?" I blushed, but nodded. "Are you using protection?"

I nodded again. "Yes, contraceptive spells. We've never gone with-" I trailed off, suddenly remembering something. My birthday. We hadn't used protection. Madam Pomfrey must have sensed what I was realizing, because she patted my hand.

"How long ago was that?"

"Two months." The moment the words were out of my mouth, I wished that it wasn't true. Madam Pomfrey told me to pull my shirt up, and I did so, exposing my abdomen.

"I'm going to perform a simple spell to see if you are pregnant or not. This won't hurt or anything, so you can relax."

I tried to make my stiff muscles relax, but it was nearly helpless. She ran her wand over my abdomen, muttering a spell under her breath. The tip of her wand glowed orange, and I looked up at her.

"What does that mean?"

She didn't answer, but instead said another spell, and the light blinked twice. She put down her wand and told me to sit up. "Ms Roxley, it seems that you are in fact pregnant. About two months along."

I looked up at Madam Pomfrey like she was an alien. Was she kidding? "What happens now?" I found myself asking.

"Well, I'd suggest that you first notify the father, and then I'm afraid I'll have to let Dumbledore know since this interferes with your education."

"Am I free to go?"

She nodded. "Yes, but I'd like if you came in here once every two weeks for check ups."

"Thank you," I said absentmindedly and stood up. I walked out of the hospital wing almost in a trance. Pregnant. I was pregnant. Cedric and I were going to have a baby. I touched my stomach gently. There was another person growing inside of me. Without even realizing it, I had reached the common room. I stepped inside and saw Cedric sitting at a table, studying. I went up to stand in front of him, but not saying a word. It didn't take him long to notice me. His crooked grin appeared on his face, but for once it didn't give me the comfort it usually did.

"How did it go with Madam Pomfrey? Did she know what was wrong with you?"

"We need to talk." My voice was cold, unfeeling, but I couldn't bring myself to care. "Can we go to your room?"

Cedric gave me a confused look, but gathered his books and followed me to his room. Once we were inside, he cast a silencing spell over the door and locked it. Sitting down at the edge of the bed, he looked worried at me.

"Ava, what's wrong?" I didn't answer. "Please say something, you're scaring me."

"I'm pregnant." I blurted out, and his eyes got almost comically wide.

"P-pregnant?" He stuttered. "How did this happen?"

"I think we both know how this happened, Cedric," I said dryly.

"But we used protection."

"Not on my birthday," I sighed, silently cursing my boyfriend for being so slow.

"Are you keeping it?"

My temper flared. "Off course I'm keeping it. Do you think I could just kill my baby like that, _our _baby?" I think it was about then that the situation really sank in, and I felt tears pool in my eyes. "Oh my god," I whispered. Within a fraction of a second, Cedric had pulled me into his arms, and held me tight. My tears fell onto his school robes, and my body shook with sobs. After a few minutes my sobs grew weaker. It was then I noticed that his body was shaking too. I felt something hot and wet on my neck, and realized that he was crying too. I circled my arms tighter around him, and stroke his hair. Together we sat like that, holding each other as we cried.

--

"I'll ask Professor Sprout to set up a meeting with Dumbledore tomorrow," Cedric said as we were laying in bed that night, and I looked up at him. "We have to figure out what to do. We're not going to be able to finish school."

"Maybe we can take out NEWT's this summer," I suggested.

"I hope so," he replied. His hand was rubbing my stomach, and I couldn't help but to think how lucky I was to have him. Not all 17 year old boys would stand by their pregnant girlfriend.

"I love you," I whispered, and I felt his grip on me tighten.

"I love you too. I will to whatever I can to provide for you and our baby. I won't let you down, I promise."

--

The next morning after my Transfiguration class I met up with Cedric outside of Dumbledore's office. I had gotten a free pass from Professor Sprout for my next class because of the meeting. I was nervous as hell as the spiral staircase took us up to Dumbledore's office, and I dried off my sweaty palms on my skirt.

"Mr Diggory, Ms Roxley, how good to see you. Please sit down. Would you care for a lemon drop?"

"No thank you sir." We sat down, and once again I found myself being unable to speak. "We were wondering if it would be possible for us to take out NEWT's this summer instead of next year."

Dumbledore didn't look too surprised. "And what is the reason to this request?"

"I'm pregnant," I said, my head held high and my voice strong and clear. I wasn't ashamed, and no one could judge me.

"I see." Dumbledore was silent for a few minutes before he spoke up again. "I think it could very well be accepted that you take your NEWT's early. You are both exceptional students, so it shouldn't be a problem. When are you due?"

"Around October, sir."

"Do you have any plans on getting married? For your reputations sake, I'd advise you to do it as soon as possible."

Cedric and I had discussed this last night, and agreed that we didn't want to get married until the summer. We told Dumbledore this, and he nodded.

"Very well, very well. Then I believe congratulations are in order. I trust, Ms Roxley, that you have talked to Poppy about all things related?"

"Yes, sir, I have."

--

We left Dumbledore's office feeling much more light-hearted than when we went in. We would get married at the end of the semester, take out NEWT's, and then move in with my parents until the baby was born. Cedric would take a job, preferably at the ministry, and when we had enough money we'd move into a house somewhere. As for keeping it quiet until we finished the semester, I was planning on learning a concealing charm so that my bump wouldn't be visible.

We went down for lunch, and I noticed that Cedric was more attentive to me than normal, having his hand on the small of my back, leading me towards our table. It was a subtle change, but I loved him even more for it. After lunch Cedric followed me to the hospital wing where I got some vitamins from Madam Pomfrey, and then we went down to the last class of the day, which were Double Potions.

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Like it? Loathe it? Love it? Let me know.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: I promised you an update, and here it is. First I just want to thank everbody who has reviewed so far, it means soo much to me. Second I just want to say that my knowledge of pregnancies is about as big as my knowledge or quantum physics, so please don't be afraid to correct me if I'm wrong about something, I've dug up everything on google. Not much else to say, but please check out my new one-shot The Real Him, and leave a review. Enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.**

* * *

**Falling at my own Pace**

**Chapter 21**

The next few weeks flew by, and I was now 12 weeks pregnant. I was starting to show, and it made me so happy. It wasn't noticeable when I was wearing my school robes, but naked you could see the defined bump on my stomach. I had moved in to Cedric's room permanently with Dumbledore's permission. It suited both Cedric and I fine, since it meant less time apart.

I sighed as I walked up the next flight of stairs towards my Defense class. My feet were killing me and my bag seemed heavier than usually. As I came to the corridor, I literally bumped into someone. Gasping, I grasped that person's shoulders to keep me standing. When I looked up, I recognized the black hair and green eyes.

"Harry, hi." I smiled. "Sorry for not watching where I was going."

He smiled nervously. "It's my fault, I should have watched where I was going." His eyes shifted downwards, and I realized that he'd felt my bump when we collided.

"Please don't tell anyone," I said low, and he nodded.

"Off course not. I won't tell anyone. I should get to class."

"See you later." I continued to walk, but stopped and turned around when he called out my name.

"Congratulations."

I smiled at him, a silent thank you, and then started to walk towards the classroom again. I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn't hear the footsteps behind me, and I screamed when two hands grabbed my shoulders. Holding a hand over my racing heart I looked back at the Weasley twins.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack. If I'd fallen down the stairs Cedric would have had your heads."

They only grinned. "We can take him. We've got skills," Fred winked.

I chuckled. "Ah, but so does he. Can we get to class now?"

We went to class, making it just in time. As I sat down, I felt someone looking at me. I glanced up, and saw that Professor Moody's magical eye was fixated on my stomach. Feeling extremely uncomfortable, I sat down and kept my head bent down as the class started.

--

When I came out from the classroom an hour later, Cedric was waiting for me. He smiled when he saw me, his beautiful crooked grin.

"Hey," I smiled.

"Hey yourself. How was your class?"

I shrugged. "It was fine. The usual. Moody still creeps me out." I lowered my voice. "I saw his magical eye fixated on my stomach. I think he knows." A panic stricken look came onto Cedric's face, and I grabbed his arm. "Don't worry about it, he's not going to tell anyone."

"I believe you. Should we get down to lunch?" I nodded and took his hand in mine, entwining our fingers. When we were almost at the Great Hall, I remembered something, and I tugged on Cedric's hand to make him stop. He frowned at me, and I pulled him to the side, so that we wouldn't be overheard.

"Harry knows."

"What?!" His voice was loud, and I shushed him.

"I crashed into him earlier, and he felt it. He promised he wouldn't tell anyone though. He did offer us his congratulations."

"That's nice of him."

I nodded. "It is. So try to be nice to him if you see him."

He feighned being hurt. "Like I'm anything _but_ nice to him. Now let's go, I'm starving and you need to eat."

Almost as if it was planned, we bumped into 'the Golden trio' in the Entrance Hall. An awkward moment arose, before Harry stuck out his hand to Cedric.

"Congrats, mate."

"Thanks." Cedric replied, shaking his hand. I offered the Gryffindors a smile, and then Cedric and I moved into the Great Hall.

--

Later that night we were sitting in the common room, working on our homework. I was tired, and yawned repeatedly. The fifth time I yawned, Cedric looked up at me sharply.

"Ava, go to sleep." I tried to protest, but he just blew me off. "You need your rest." He gave me a look that said not to argue, but I didn't give up the easily.

"Don't tell me what to do." My voice was pretty loud, and we had now caught the attention of every student in the common room. The younger students looked at us with fear in their eyes, probably thinking we were going to wip out our wands, while the older students looked amused.

Cedric clenched his jaw, and his grey eyes were dangerously narrow. "Don't argue with me."

"You're not the boss of me, you can't tell me what to do!" Blinded by rage I stood up and threw my books down before storming off to the dorms. My bed looked empty and cold because I hadn't slept in it for nearly a month, and I threw myself on my back. Bringing up my pillow over my face, I screamed into it. Letting angry tears leak from my eyes I placed an arm over my stomach. A tentative knock was heard on the door, and I knew who it was.

"Go away!"

He sighed. "Ava, please don't shut me out."

"Leave me alone! I hate you!" Pregnancy hormones, I know. But I couldn't help myself. I'd never been one of those people who relied on others, and I wasn't about to start now just because I was pregnant.

"Please don't say that, you don't mean it."

"Maybe I do!" I shouted back.

"I didn't mean to upset you, I promse. I just worry about you. You know why. I just can't stand the thought of anything happening to you."

I sat up, tears still streaming down my cheeks. "You promise?"

"I promise. I love you Ava, so much."

Standing up in a haste, and nearly falling flat on my face in the process, I made my way over to the door and threw it open. Cedric was standing outside, his hair looking like he'd run this fingers through it for several minutes, and with a somber expression on his face. I threw myself in his arms, sobbing into his shirt.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," I sobbed, and he kissed the top of my head.

"It's okay. I know your hormones are going crazy."

I gave a tearful chuckle, and looked up at him. "I love you."

He grinned crookedly. "I love you too."

--

The late April weather was perfect, and the sun warmed my face as I from towards my Herbology class. It had been almost two weeks since Cedric's and my argument, and he proved to be Godsend. No matter how angry I got when my hormones freaked out, he was always there, muttering sweet words in my ear and holding my hand. Even the nights I made him sleep on the floor he was a total sweetheart.

When I came to the Entrance Hall, Cedric was there to meet me. I met his lips in a kiss, and a smile graced my face.

"Hey."

"Hey," he replied, taking my bag from me. "Let's eat, I'm starving."

I laughed. "Me too."

We went to eat, and I loved the feeling of Cedric's hand on my knee. I squeezed his fingers, and got a crooked grin in response. Tara looked at us, a frown on her features.

"Something's different with the two of you." We both looked up at her. "Oh my god, you're not getting married are you?"

"No! Off course not!" I objected, but I could feel my palms getting sweaty. I hadn't wanted to tell anyone just yet, but I could feel my resolve start to crumble. I could picture Tara's face when I told her. Leaning into Cedric's side, I brought my lips close to his ear. "I want to tell them."

He squeezed my hand. "Are you sure?" At my nod, he looked up at Tara. "Can you gather up the gang and meet us in my room after dinner tonight?"

Tara's eyes almost bulged out of her head. "Merlin's beard! You _are _getting married!"

"We're not. Can you just do it?"

Tara nodded, her blonde hair twirling around her head. "Off course. I have to run, I haven't done my Divination homework. I'll see you later though." She left us, and I breathed out in relief.

"That was close." Cedric agreed, and kissed my temple before we continued to eat.

--

I was nervous as we all sat in Cedric's room after dinner. Tara and Ethan were sitting on the bed, Jennifer and Ryan on a sofa they'd transfigured, and Cedric and I was standing up against the wall. I rested my back against Cedric's chest, and covered his hands with mine as they lay on my stomach. His thumb started to stroke my abdomen slightly, and I knew it was time to start.

"Thank you for meeting us here, we wanted to make sure no one else heard."

"What's wrong Ava?" Jennifer asked, looking concerned at me.

"Nothing's wrong," Cedric said calmly. "We just wanted you to be the first ones to know."

We were only met with confused faces, so I took a deep breath and then took a direct approach, "I'm pregnant."

Jaws dropped, eyes got big, and Tara blurted out, "What?! How could you keep this from me?"

"It hasn't been that long Tara. I found out about a month ago. It's taken some getting used to."

"Congratulations, you're going to make wonderful parents," Jennifer smiled, standing up from the sofa to give me a hug. I hugged her back, a smile forming on my face.

"Way to go Ced," Ethan exclaimed, and made a yelp when Tara hit him. We all laughed. It felt good to get that tension out of me, I felt much lighter now.

"What about school? Are you still coming back next year?" Ryan asked, and Cedric shook his head. He started to fill them in on our arrangements, including getting married at the end of the term. I looked over at Tara, who had a huge grin on her face.

"Congratulations!" she gripped me in a tight hug, and I laughed.

"Tara, pregnant here, take it easy,"

"Oops, sorry." She let go of me, and rested her hand against my stomach. "I can't believe that there's a life growing inside of you." Her voice dropped in volume. "How did Cedric react when he found out?"

"He was very supportive," I responded. "More than I would have expected from a 17 year old boy."

"Have you started to come up with names yet?"

I shook my head. "We haven't talked about it yet. I'm not due until the end of October though, so we've got time."

"Speaking of time," Ryan interrupted, "I have to go work on my potions paper. It's due tomorrow, and I haven't even started on it yet." as it turned out, everybody had homework to do, so we left our room in favour of the library.

I was dead tired when I crawled into bed later that night, and struggled to keep my eyes open. I lay down on my side and closed my eyes, feeling my body relax. I heard the door to the bathroom open and close, but didn't look up. I knew he'd be joining me soon. I felt the bed behind me shift after a minute or two, and then the warmth of Cedric's body behind me. He snuggled in close, wrapping his arm tightly around my middle and burying his nose in my hair.

"I love you," I whispered, and his arm around me tightened.

"I love you too." He kissed my neck, and I smiled. I was so lucky to have him. It almost seemed unreal, like it was all a dream. It certainly was too good to be true. Snuggling nearer to him, I matched my breathing to his and found myself starting to fall asleep. Just before I was falling I thought about what Tara had said about names, and reminded myself to speak with Cedric about it tomorrow.

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**Like it? Loathe it? Love it? Let me know.**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: I said I'd update on Monday, and so I am. So far, two persons have voted on my poll. One person wanted chapter 13, and the other one wanted chapter 20. Please, please go and vote. The poll will be open until Saturday, but it's better to vote sooner rather than later :) I don't have much else to say. Read and review :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.**

* * *

**Falling at my own Pace**

**Chapter 22**

The next morning before breakfast, I brought up baby names to Cedric. He thought about it for a minute, and then asked me what I thought.

"I've always liked Adrien for a boy. For a girl, I don't know."

"How about Olivia, after my grandmother?"

I smiled. "I like it, a lot. Are we deciding on that? Adrien or Olivia?"

"I think that's a good idea. It's settled then." He leaned down and gave me a gentle kiss. Before he could back away i wrapped my arms around his neck and pushed my body into his. We hadn't been intimate since my birthday, and I missed him. Cedric didn't seem to mind me pouncing on him, and pulled me closer to him. After a few minutes of heavy kissing, he pulled away. I frowned at him.

"Tonight," he promised. "We have to get down or we're gonna miss breakfast. Remember Madam Pomfrey telling you that eating is important."

"I remember," I nodded. "Let's go."

--

I looked up from my oatmeal when I saw the family owl land in front of me. He held out his leg and I took the letter from it. Taking a sip of my pumpkin juice, he flew away. I recognized the writing on the letter as my father's, and opened the letter excitingly.

_Dear Ava,_ it read.

_I trust that you are well. Both your mother and I read the article that that horrible Skeeter woman wrote, and we both think it's a piece of crap. She never gets any facts right. We miss you, and can't wait to see you again, though it's only about a month left of the term. Give Cedric our love and wish him good luck in the Tournament from us._

_Love, dad._

I smiled to myself. It had been too long since I heard from them. I looked up when Cedric spoke.

"Your dad?"

I nodded. "Yeah. They said hi by the way, and wish you good luck with the third task."

"That's nice of them." His expression turned thoughtful, and I could tell he was thinking about their reaction to the baby. I grasped his hand, and he looked up at me.

"Don't worry about it."

"I'm not." I could hear in his voice that he was lying, but let it go. "Are you done? We should get to class."

"Yeah, I'm done." I stood up and we walked down to the dungeons. As we walked, I was starting to get a bit queasy, but brushed it off. Madam Pomfrey had given me a draught for my morning sickness, and I hadn't been sick once. I thanked her for that. I knew that when my mom was pregnant with me, she threw up a lot.

We went into the classroom, and I ignored the way Marcus Flint leered at me. He was a pig. Not a minute later Snape came into the room, his robes billowing out behind him as he wrote the directions for the potion on the board with his wand.

"Page 274, and no talking."

We got to work under complete silence. Everything went smoothly until the end of the class, when disaster struck. On his way to Snape's desk with the vial containing today's potion, Flint bumped his hip into the edge of my table. This caused my cauldron to tip over, sending the boiling potion all over my arms and torso. The heat was excruciating, and I cried out with pain. Suddenly, everyone's attention was on me. Cedric hadn't been so worried about me, he would have hexed Flint into oblivion, I could see it in his face.

"20 points from Slytherin, Mr Flint. Mr Diggory, please escort Ms Roxley to the infirmary."

Cedric gathered our books and led me by the elbow out of the classroom. Silent tears of fear and pain ran down my pale skin, but not for concern over me. No, it was my unborn baby I was worried about. Madam Pomfrey looked surprised when she saw us, and I could see that she thought something was wrong with the baby.

"She got boiling potion on her torso, arms and hands," Cedric explained, placing a hand at the small of my back. We were led to a bed and Poppy pulled the curtains around us before she left to get me something for the pain, telling me to take off my shirt. The only problem were the angry blisters on my hands. "Put your arms s up," Cedric commanded, and I obeyed. He pulled my sweater over my head before he turned his attention to my button down shirt.

"I knew you wanted to get me naked," I attempted to joke, winching ans he pulled the shirt down over my arms and hands.

"This is serious Ava," his voice was cold as stone. "It could hurt the baby," he added, his voice low.

"You think I don't know that?" I cried. I didn't dare to look down on my stomach, and instead looked at a stain on the curtain. Madam Pomfrey came back, carrying a jar of bright orange paste.

"Lie down, dear." I lay down on my back, and she started to rub the paste on my stomach, arms and hands. I knew that the burn healing paste would have to be on for at least an hour, depending on how bad the burns were, so I lay down more comfortably.

"Could this affect the baby?" Cedric asked low, his brow furrowed and his arms crossed over his chest.

"It could, so I'm going to run some tests," Madam Pomfrey replied, whipping out her wand. She held it over my abdomen, mumbling a spell under her breath. The top burnt a bright green, and I looked up worriedly at her.

"What does it mean?"

"Your baby is fine, it hasn't been affected by the potion at all."

Both Cedric and I let out big sighs of relief. I let my head fall back against the pillow, and closed my eyes. I felt Cedric brush away my bangs, and a pair of warm lips kissed my forehead. I opened my eyes and saw him sitting next to my bed. He grinned crookedly and softly stroke my cheek.

"Do you want me to stay?"

"You don't have to. I'll be out before lunch. Could you let Flitwick know where I am?"

He kissed me tenderly. "I'll be back before lunch, okay?" I nodded. "I love you."

"I love you too. Now go or you'll be late." He leaned down and gave ma another kiss before leaving. I looked down at my swollen abdomen, winching a bit at the orange paste covering it.

The hour it took for the paste to heal my skin I lay and tried to sleep, but to no avail. Right before lunch, Poppy came back and removed the paste. When she was done I cleaned my clothes before putting them back on. We made an appointment for the following week, and she told me I was ready to leave. I grabbed my book bag, which Cedric had left for me, and went to wait for him outside the infirmary. I didn't have to wait long before he came to meet me, and he gave me a hard kiss.

"You feeling better?"

I nodded. "I am. Could we take a bath after dinner tonight? I feel like a bubble bath."

He laughed. "Off course we can. Now come on, let's eat."

--

I didn't bring any swimwear to the prefect's bathroom that night. It would have been useless to do so, because they would come off anyway. As I removed my clothes to climb into the water, I caught Cedric staring at my body. I had gained weight, the majority of that weight settling on my hips and breasts, but I couldn't see what was so fascinating about my body.

"What?" I asked, feeling rather self-conscious.

Cedric grinned at me. "You..." he walked closer to me, "are..." he gripped my hips, pulling me into his body, "beautiful." He kissed me, a kiss that was full of passion, lust, and love. His hands slid around to stroke my stomach, and I smiled against his mouth. When we broke apart, a grin covered my face.

"Now take your clothes off," I teased him before I went to sit on the edge of the tub. I swung my legs over the edge and stuck them into the hot water. A groan fell from my lips. The hot water felt so good against my skin. Carefully, I slid the rest of my body down into the water. My hair was piled on top of my head so it wouldn't get wet, and I was careful to not dip my head underwater. A small splash sounded next to me, and then Cedric's body appeared next to mine, his hair plastered around his face and a youthful look in his eyes.

I laughed and swam closer to him, reaching up to brush his hair from his face. He captured my hand in his and kissed my palm. Drawing my body nearer to his, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him hard. It had been too long since I'd been able to feel him like this, and I didn't want to wait. I backed towards the wall of the pool, pulling him with me, and abandoned his lips to instead trail my lips to his jawline.

"Did you lock the door?" I murmured, nibbling his jaw, and I could feel his adam's apple move when he swallowed.

"Yes, I did." His voice was breathless, and I could feel his erection resting on my stomach.

"Good," I replied, and lifted up my left leg to wrap around his hips. Immediately, he pulled up my other leg as well, and I locked them securely around his back. As my lips found his again, his hands travelled from my hips up to my breasts. He stroked them lightly, and gently tugged at my nipples. I groaned against his mouth, clutching his hair tighter. He dropped his hand down between our bodies, stroking me. I tore my mouth away from his and dropped my head back against the edge.

"Cedric, I need you...now."

"Are you sure it's safe for the baby?" Normally it would touch me that he was so concerned, but I was so turned on that his sweetness irritated me.

"Yes, it's safe. I need you inside me." The end of my sentence turned into a moan when he entered me. The combination of having him inside me and the hot water was amazing, and I started to move up. Grinding my hips against his, digging my nails into his shoulders when an intense wave of pleasure ripped through me. I planted my mouth on his, kissing him with all I had. His tongue battled with mine, and he growled.

I could feel myself getting close, and moaned this into his mouth. He doubled his efforts, and my moans were mixed with his growls. When I came, I saw fireworks behind my closed lids, and my entire body shook. He thrusted three more times before emptying himself inside of me. It took us about five minutes to get our breathing back to normal, and I felt that my legs were still shaking. I kissed him softly and unwrapped my legs from him.

"I love you," I mumbled, threading my fingers through his hair, which had started to dry in the humid air.

"As I love you," he replied. "We should get out of here before we turn to raisins."

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**Like it? Loathe it? Love it? Let me know.**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: I want to thank everybody who reviewed after my author's note, it really warmed my heart. In my poll, it's chapter 20 that's in the lead, so be sure to check out the poll if you want that to change. The poll will close tomorrow at midnight (+1:00 hour GMT), and then I'll try to write the chapter as soon as possible. It might be tough though, because 1) It's my birthday on Wednesday (turning 18), 2) I have both math test and German test on Wednesday, so Monday, Tuesday I have to study. 3) On Thursday, I'm going with my class to Stockholm (the capital of Sweden for those of you who didn't know), and we'll be gone the entire day. The good news though is that I have Friday off, so I can write then. Okay, so now I'm gonna wrap up this ridiculously long author's note with a simple 'enjoy'.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.**

* * *

**Falling at my own Pace**

**Chapter 23**

I was sitting in the library studying with Tara when I felt a pair of arms hug me from behind. A kiss was pressed to my neck, and I smiled.

"Hey love," Cedric said, and I turned around to face him.

"Hey yourself. You're going down to the pitch?"

He nodded. It was May 27th, and all the champions were requested to go down to the Quidditch pitch where Ludo Bagman was going to inform them about the third task. "Yeah, I am. I thought I'd walk you down to the common room, if you're done."

"I'm going down to the infirmary actually, but you can walk me there if you like." With a grin, Cedric held out his arm, and I stood up to take it. I transfigured my book bag into a small package and stuck it into my pocket, not feeling like carrying large books at the moment. As we walked to the exit, I saw a group of giggling fourth-years sending us looks. I ignored them, until one thing they said stood out.

"She's gotten fat, look at her! I don't understand how anyone could find her attractive." I kept my head down so that the tears in my eyes wouldn't be visible. I would _not _give them the satisfaction to see me cry. When we rounded a corner and came to an empty hallway, Cedric stopped me. He placed his hands on my shoulders and looked concerned at me.

"Are you okay?"

I nodded, sniffling. "I'm fine. Just a bit emotional."

"You don't actually believe what those girls said, do you?" I didn't reply, only averted my eyes to the floor. I heard him sigh, and he squeezed my shoulders lightly. "Ava, look at me." He waited until I was looking at him, and then spoke. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I can't even begin to describe how much you mean to me, how much I love you. It's like before I met you I was empty. You've given me everything, and I will love you until the day I die."

I sniffled again, the tears now running freely down my face. "You are such a smooth-talker," I chuckled, and he let out a small one himself.

His eyes danced with laughter for a moment, then they turned serious again. "I mean it though, Ava. Don't you ever believe what anybody says, they don't know what they're talking about."

I laughed through the tears, reaching up a hand to wipe them away. "You have to stop saying there sweet things or I'm never gonna stop crying."

He grinned, and bent down to kiss my lips. I didn't want to stop, but knew that making out in the hallway wasn't the smartest thing. So I broke off the kiss, and stroked his cheek.

"Come on, let's go."

--

After my 20 week check up with Madam Pomfrey, I was happy. The baby was doing well, growing like it should be. I could have found out the sex of the baby if I wanted to, but Cedric and I had decided we wanted it to be a surprise. I sat down in the sofa next to Tara, and sighed. I felt short of breath, even just going the short way from the infirmary to the common room, and my feet hurt. The common room was practically empty, it was nearly 11 pm. I closed my eyes and let my head fall back against the sofa. I was nearly dozing off, when I noticed that Tara was lightly tapping my stomach. Irritated, I lashed out an arm and attempted to hit her.

"Hey, cut it out. What did you do that for?" she asked, sounding confused and upset.

"You're tapping on my stomach. Stop it."

A pause, then, "No I'm not."

My eyes snapped open, and moved from Tara, whose arms were tucked against her chest, down to my stomach. That's when I realized what was happening, and a huge grin spread across my face. "The baby kicked! Feel!" I took Tara's hand in mine and placed it on my stomach. After a few seconds, I felt the baby kick again, and laughter tore from Tara's throat.

She looked up at me, her green eyes sparkling. "Ava, that's amazing!"

"What's amazing?" Both Tara and I looked up and saw Cedric standing just inside the portrait hole. My grin got wider, and I held out my hand towards him. He walked over to us and took is, sitting down on my right. I placed his hand on my stomach, and felt my heart soar at the look on his face when the baby kicked. His crooked grin appeared on his face, and he bent forward to kiss me. We leaned our foreheads against each other, and I opened my eyes to look at him.

"Our baby," Cedric whispered, rubbing my stomach with one hand and tracing the other through my hair.

"Our baby," I echoed, touching his cheek.

"I'm gonna take this as my cue to leave," Tara said, standing up. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I called back, not taking my eyes of Cedric. I pressed my lips against his again, feeling his soft lips against mine. Kissing him had to be one of my favourite things in the entire world. I moaned softly when I felt his tongue race along my bottom lip and opened my mouth to him. Our tongues didn't battle, more like danced in a perfect rhythm. He leaned back slightly, settling himself against the armrest of the sofa, and I followed. Our joined hands were still on my stomach, and a giggle left my mouth when I felt the baby kick again.

"I love you," Cedric said, his grey eyes holding so much love and adoration that I thought I'd burst.

"I love you too." I pressed my lips to his again, this time opening my mouth to him faster. His hand left mine for a few seconds, and then I felt something cold slide onto my ring finger. I pulled away, and looked down at our joined hands. On my finger sat a ring made of solid white gold, with a cathedral diamond in the middle. It wasn't overly large, but not small either. I looked up at Cedric in shock.

"I love you with all my heart, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you do me the honours of becoming my wife?"

My body froze. My heart beat faster than ever before, and I stared at the ring on my finger with wide eyes. We had agreed to get married after the term ended; this was not part of the plan. Cedric understood my hesitation, and squeezed my hand.

"I've had this ring since before your birthday. I almost asked you then, but chickened out. Even if we weren't having this baby, I still would ask you to be mine. You want this to, right?"

"Yes." I answered, my heart pounding so loud I was sure he heard it.

"Yes you want it, or yes you'll marry me?"

Tears flooded in my eyes, and I grinned. "Yes, I'll marry you!" I cried, throwing myself into his arms. He laughed, a melodic sound in my ears, and kissed me everywhere he could reach. It felt so good, sitting here out in the open with him. No secrets, no lies. Making a decision, I pulled awya a bit and looked seriously at him.

"Cedric, I want to stop hiding." He frowned. "Hiding this; us. I want to walk down the hallway with my head held high, knowing that we're getting married and having a baby."

"Are you sure? We'll probably be trash-talked love,"

I nodded. "I know. But I don't care. I want everybody to know."

Cedric grinned crookedly. "We'll talk to Dumbledore in the morning then. Now, I think it's time to go to bed." He stood up and offered my his hand. I took it, and we went towards our room.

I was wearing one of his old t-shirts to bed, it was the most comfortable thing to sleep in, since it was so big. Running my hand through my thick hair and wincing when my fingers caught a knot, I crawled down under the covers. I turned to my side, resting my head on my bent right arm. My left hand started to stroke my stomach, up and down, to and fro. Things certainly hadn't turned out the way I thought they would. Not that I regretted anything. When I was growing up and my friends would talk about getting married and having babies, I'd always laughed at them. Having kids and getting married had not been something I'd wanted. Until I met Cedric. Now, I couldn't help but to try to picture how our baby would look like. Would it have Cedric's stormy grey eyes, my russet hair and pale complexion? Or would it's eyes be dark blue, hair golden with a smile that could melt anyone. I couldn't wait to find out. I was so lost in my thoughts, I didn't feel Cedric climb in behind me, curling his arm around my stomach.

"A penny for your thoughts?" I voiced what I had been thinking, about our baby, and he gave a small chuckle.

"She will be beautiful, I know it. As long as she gets her looks from you, she'll be fine."

I turned around to face him, a grin on my face. "'She'? Already confident you know what it's gonna be?"

"It's just a feeling a have," he replied, and then stroked the side of my face. "Now sleep Ava. I love you,"

"As I love you," I replied, and gave him a soft kiss before preparing my body for sleep.

--

When the morning came, I was nervous. I brushed my hair with violent movements, almost causing me to cry out in pain when the brush came in contact with the knots. We had decided to talk to Dumbledore before breakfast, since it was Saturday. Both Tara and Jennifer was overjoyed when we told them about our engagement, and demanded to see the ring at least 20 times. Before leaving our room I cast concealing charms on my stomach, and also on my ring. We didn't want to flaunt anything if Dumbledore didn't give us the go ahead. Cedric met me in the Entrance Hall, and we walked up to Dumbledore's office together. It took twice as long as usual, I got short of breath more quickly than before. Finally, we were sitting inside of Dumbledore's office. He offered us some lemon shards, which we politely declined, before getting to the point.

"Cedric and I would like to go public with both my pregnancy and our engagement," I said, a bit surprised at the conficence in my voice.

"Off course, off course. I do not need to remind you not to listen to everything the other students tell you. Jealously can be a nasty thing."

"Yes, sir," Cedric replied.

"If it is acceptable by the two of you, I'd like to announce it at breakfast. It's better that everyone hear it at the same time; it leaves less room for rumours."

"That sounds great sir, thank you so much."

"Think nothing of it. Now I think you should get down to breakfast."

We left, and I could feel my heartbeat return to normal. The Great Hall was filled with students, and I could feel myself start to get nervous again. Cedric squeezed my hand reassuringly before we sat down at the Hufflepuff table. I gave Hannah Abbott a smile as she passed me the oatmeal, and looked up when Dumbledore came into the Hall. I took Cedric's hand in mine under the table, and we both turned our attention to Dumbledore, who was standing up, ready to announce.

"Good morning students, teachers and foreign friends," his voice bellowed out over the Hall, and everybody stopped eating and talking and just sat and looked at him. "I have some happy news to share with you all! I am glad to announce the engagement between Ms. Ava Roxley and Mr. Cedric Diggory, both of Hufflepuff house. I'm also glad to announce that they are expecting a baby in October." The Great Hall went completely silent. You could have heard a needle drop. Then, someone started clapping their hands. I looked around to find the source, and found myself locking eyes with the Weasley twins, identical grins on their faces as they applauded. Not a minute after, the rest of the students and teachers joined in, even though most of the students looked shocked, and like they wanted to go and gossip about it. "I wish both Ms Roxley and Mr Diggory all the best, and now I will let you get back to your breakfasts."

Now the talking began. During Dumbledore's speech, I had discreetly lifted the concealing charms I had placed this morning, and the people who sat near me struggled to get a good look at both the ring and my stomach. As I ate, more than one person came up to offer their congratulations. I was a bit surprised when I recognized Harry in the mass of people, and smiled at him. He shook both my and Cedric's hand and wished us the best. All throughout that day people would approach us. Most of them were friendly, others made snidely remarks, but I just pretended I didn't hear them. They didn't matter, anyway. I was starting to get a bit tired by everbody disturbing us constantly, and went to bed early.

I slept for a few hours, and when I woke up it was night. Cedric was standing by the window, looking out with a distant expression on his face. He was shirtless, and my breath caught in my throat at the way the moonlight reflected off his bare chest. Silently I walked up to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. I leaned my head on his shoulderblade, feeling the warm skin beneath mine. His hands covered mine, and he stroked small circles with his thumb. We stood like that for at least half an hour, and then Cedric suggested we got some sleep.

I lay down with my head on his chest, angling my body so that my stomach wouldn't come between us. I stroked his skin lightly, and smiled when he placed a kiss to the top of my head. I closed my eyes, and slowly felt myself drift into sleep.

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	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: I'm sorry I haven't updated like I promised I would, but I have had the biggest case of writer's block ever. But here is chapter 24, freshly written =) The next chapter will probably be up some time this week, but I'm not sure when. Also, the chapter I'll write in Cedric's POV will be posted when this story is finished. It would be great if everybody who reads this reviews, because I've had over 6000 hits on this story, but not nearly as many reviews. On with the show.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.**

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**Falling at my own Pace**

**Chapter 24**

Not much changed after Dumbledore's announcement. There were a few, mainly Cho and her friends, who wasn't supportive and made comments about a shotgun wedding, but otherwise it didn't change much. Most people didn't care, they'd gotten used to seeing me and Cedric together so this was no big change. Fred and George had unoffically given themselves the roles of my bodyguards, and followed me to every class I had that Cedric wasn't in. It's impossible not to love those two.

I was glad that I didn't have any classes higher than the fourth floor, since my back would hurt when I walked too much. Luckily, Cedric proved to be a God send in this compartment too, because one night when I complained more than usual about my back pain, he gave me a massage.

It was now only about three weeks left until the third task, and I was helping Cedric every day after school to practise different spells. We were sitting in the library at the moment, searching through different books for spells.

"I've got like 4 different books. Do you want to find a classroom to practise in?"

Cedrid agreed, and we checked out the books before walking down the hallway. We started to talk, and didn't notice that we had come to a narrow hallway neither one of us recognized.

"Maybe there's a room we can practise in behind that door," I suggested. "Or at best some stairs so that we can get up to the room of requirement."

"I'm not sure it's a good idea," Cedric said hesitantley. "Who knows what's behind that door?"

"There's only one way to find out," I counter argued, a grin slowly spreading on my face. I grabbed his hand in mine and walked with more determend steps towards the door.

I turned the doorknob, and pushed the door open. It creaked a bit, and I couldn't help but to feel like I was in a Muggle horror movie or something. On the other side of the door lay a big room. The moonlight that was streaming in from the windows gave the room an eerie feeling. The shadows of desks and chairs that was pushed up against the wall confirmed the room as a classroom. What looked out of place in the room was a mirror that was leaning against the far wall. It was almost as high as the seiling with a heavy gold frame and two feet that looked like lion's paws. I walked closer, mesmerized by it. On the top of the frame was an inscriptinon.

"_Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. _Is that latin?" I questioned, looking at Cedric who was standing behind me.

He shook his head. "No it's English. Reversing the inscription and rearranging the spaces produces _I show not your face but your heart's desire. _This is the mirror of Erised. Like the inscription says, it shows your heart's true desire-"

I grinned at him. "You should have been a Ravenclaw, with your brains," I teased him, and he gave a short laugh. "Do you want to look in it?"

A content smile covered his lips, and he shook his head once again. "I already have my heart's desire right here with me. Do you want to look in it?"

"I'm curious, I have to admit, but I don't know..." I thought about it for a second, and then turned my back towards the mirror. "Let's go."

--

I didn't think much more about the Mirror of Erised in the following days, I was so busy with other things. Cedric had gotten permission from Professor Sprout to use an empty classroom on the third floor to practise in, and we spent every single evening in there, often with both Ethan and Ryan too. Cedric needed someone to bounce the spells off, and I wasn't a good candidate for that, with the baby on the way and all. I laughed once again as Cedric made Ryan's legs dance, and stroked my stomach absentmindley. I felt the sofa shift, and looked up to see Ethan sitting down next to me. He smiled at me, and I grinned back.

"How're you feeling?"

"Big," I laughed. Then I sobered. "I realized I never said thank you for being there for me. At Christmas," I added when I saw his confused face. "Thank you Ethan,"

"It's nothing. You would've done the same for me."

"I would. Listen, Cedric and I have been talking, and we want you to be the baby's Godfather."

His eyes got wide. "Me? Really?"

I nodded, feeling another smile enter my face. "Yes, you. You're important to both Cedric and me. I've already asked Tara to be the Godmother."

An even bigger smile broke out on his lips, and he leaned forwards to give me a hug. "Thank you, so much." He pulled away, his eyes sparkling. "I'm going to be the best bloody Godfather ever."

"You told him then?" Cedric said, suddenly appearing next to me. I looked up at him and smiled.

"Yeah, I did." He pulled me up and then sat down, placing me sideways on his lap. As he spoke with Ethan, he was subconsciously tracing patterns on my knee. The contact made my body tinge with anticipation. The last few days I had been horny as hell, but we hadn't really had the chance to do anything about it. When the feeling in my stomach became too much, I gently stroked Cedric's cheek.

"Do you mind walking me back to the common room? I'm tired."

He kissed my cheek. "Not at all. Let's go. Thanks for the help guys."

We all left the classroom and started to go down to the common room, talking and laughing the whole way there. The moment the door closed behind us, I set my plan into action. As he pulled me close to kiss me goodnight, I didn't let go. Instead, my mouth left his and started to plant light kisses on his jaw. He groaned and tipped his head back, giving me the perfect view to his throat. My kisses became more heated, and when I bit slightly on his jugular he pushed me away.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" his grey eyes sparkled, and a crooked grin was on his face.

I raised an eyebrow and gave him a smirk. "I have to try now?" laughter tore from his throat, and he shook his head.

"You never have to try," his voice was husky, and it sent shivers down my spine. Our lips met in a frenzied kiss, and I molded my body to his as much as I could with my bump. Not missing a beat in our kissing, I pushed him back towards the bed until he fell over the edge, sitting down. In the mere seconds our lips were apart I mumbled the spell that left us both naked. The way that Cedric's eyes roamed over my naked body was enough to make me even more turned on, but I still managed to keep my cool.

"See something you like?"

"You know I do," he replied before wrapping his arms around my waist and burying his face in my stomach. He placed kisses there at the same time his hands went up to caress my breasts. They were ultra sensitive, and when he stroked my nipples with his thumbs I cried out. Gently, I pushed him away and motioned for him to move further up the bed. I crawled after him and straddled him, effectively straddling him. With no words I pushed myself down on him, letting out a loud moan as I did so. He raised his hands to my breasts, caressing them gently. No other sounds than the sounds of our love making was heard in the room, and I felt myself getting close. Then, just as I felt I was about to fall, he stopped my movements and pulled out.

"What did you do that for? I was so close!"

"Turn around," he commanded, and the tone of his voice told me not to argue. I turned around, my back facing him and then sat back on my heels.

I waited for him to touch me, and wasn't disappointed. His hands came to rest against my shoulders, and then slid down my back and down to my ass. I moaned softly when he started to massage the flesh there, and had to stop myself from reaching down and touching myself.

"Get on your hands and knees." He sounded strained, and I realized that he was as turned on as I was. I complied, and spread my legs to give him a nice view of my glistening center. I heard a sharp intake of breath, and then he traced his finger along my slit. I cried out and pushed my hips back towards him, but was stopped by his hands on my hips, keeping me steady. Then I felt him at my entrance, and a moan ripped from my throat. He teased me for about a minute, and my whole body was shaking with anticipation.

"Cedric," I moaned. "Stop teasing me or I'll chop your bloody balls off." He only chuckled, and tightened his grip on my hips so that I couldn't move. I was about to cuss him again, but my thoughts flew out the window when he pushed into me with a long stroke. I groaned and my head dropped down. This position permitted him to go in so much deeper than before. I felt one of Cedric's hands leave my hips and instead fisted his hand into my hair, pulling my head back slightly. The slight pain along with the pleasure sent me into an over drive, and I was glad we had a permanent silencing charm on our room.

"Ava, fuck," I heard him grunt behind me, and it turned me on even more. I could feel myself getting closer, and it made my cries and moans louder.

"I'm so close," I moaned, and was rewarded with harder strokes. Then the hand in my hair reached down under me, and stroked my sweet spot. It made me see stars, and I almost screamed as the most powerful orgasm of my life pushed forwards. My arms shook, unable to hold my weight, and I collapsed with my forehead resting against the bed. A couple of more thrusts, and I could feel Cedric spend himself inside of me. He pulled out and collapsed next to me, panting heavily. I turned to my side and looked up at him, stroking his sweaty hair out of his eyes.

"That was amazing," I panted, pushing my sweaty hair from my neck.

"Uhuh." He gulped loudly. "I think you wore me out."

I giggled. "Good." I dragged a finger along with sweaty chest. "Shower?"

"God yes!"

We went into the shower, and I adjusted the temperature before stepping in. Cedric moved in behind me, and embraced me tightly. I let my body rest against his, feeling how tired I was. I still managed to smile when his hands caressed my stomach. Being in the shower with him was one of my favourite things. Just not when we had sex, but just the feeling of belong. We lathered up each other with my orange scented body wash, and I laughed when he got bubbles on his nose. His talented fingers ran through my scalp as he washed my hair, and a slight moan of content escaped me. After performing a cleansing spell on the sheets we went to bed. I fell asleep snuggled up with him behind me, his hands stroking my stomach and his hot breath in my ear.

--

When I woke up, the first thing I felt was Cedric's hands caressing my stomach. I peeked over my shoulder and came to the conclusion that he was still asleep, and a sleepy smile came on to my face. Carefully I turned around to face him, entwining my legs with his. He muttered something unintelligent and buried his face in the pillow. I giggled softly and reached up to run my hand through his hair. This caused him to stir, and he opened one bleary grey eye.

"Morning beautiful," I smiled down at him, and his hand left my stomach to stroke my cheek.

"You're the beautiful one. You glow."

I blushed, and leaned forward to kiss him. He was warm and tasted like sleep. After some light kissing I pulled away. "We have to tell our parents soon."

Cedric sighed, and ran a hand through his hair, making is even more messy. "I know. We can't keep putting it off. I also want to tell them in person."

"Me too. They're going to freak out anyway, but that keeps them from sending a howler."

Cedric agreed, and suggested that we went down for breakfast. It was almost nine, so I was pretty hungry. After getting dressed in muggle clothes (since it was Saturday) we went up to Great Hall. The rest of our friends were already there, and we greeted them warmly.

"That looks disgusting," Ethan said, scrunching up his nose to show his distaste.

"It's not!" I defended my breakfast, and dug in on my pancakes with chocolate sauce and mangos. Laughter was heard, and I grinned.

"It does look disgusting, luv," Cedric said, kissing my cheek lightly. I stuck my tongue out at him, and then continued with my breakfast.

"What are the plans for today?" Tara asked, sipping her tea.

"I have a Potions paper to write. I swear Snape gets meaner every year around exam time," I sulked.

"I have some more spells I want to try out," Cedric announced, causing both Ryan and Ethan to groan.

"No way mate, you're not practising on me. I still have the side effects from your spells yesterday."

Cedric turned to me. "How about I help you with the paper, and then we can take a walk? It's so warm outside."

"That sounds like a great idea. Let's go,"

We left the table and went to the Entrance hall. What I saw there made my jaw drop and my eyes turn wide.

"Mum? Dad?"

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**Like it? Love it? Loathe it? Let me know.**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: I'm sorry for not updating on Wednesday like I promised TwiXlite, but I've been super busy. This chapter is extra long though, to make up for the lateness =) Reviews are my friend.**

**Disclaimer: I Don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.**

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**Falling at my own pace**

**Chapter 25**

"Mum? Dad?" Fear was the first emotion that gripped me. Then, I noticed the couple standing next to my parents, and how the man looked very much like Cedric...

"Dad? Mum?" came his surprised voice from beside me, sounding as shocked as I was. If I had more sense, I would have performed a concealing charm on my stomach. But, I had left my wand in my room. Tough luck.

"Ava!" My mother called out to me, a smile so much like my own on her face. She didn't look any different from when I saw her last, except that she had a few silver hairs in her russet locks. She started to walk towards me, and I stood frozen with fear. When she came close enough that I could see her green eyes, she suddenly stopped. Her eyes were glued to my stomach, and I saw a few tears in her eyes.

"Mum," I pleaded, taking a small step forward. By now my dad and both Cedric's parents had joined my mother, and they were all staring at me like I had two heads or something. If I didn't have Cedric's hand rubbing circles on my lower back, I would have made a run for it. As it were now, we only stood and looked at each other. That was, until Dumbledore's voice was heard from the top of the stairs.

"Mr and Mrs Diggory, Mr and Mrs Roxley, isn't this a surprise." He turned to me and Cedric. "Did you invite them?" I could only shake my head 'no', while Cedric at least was able to voice it. "Why don't we re-locate this meeting to my office? Cedric, I trust you know the way? I have a rather urgent matter to discuss with Professor Snape, but I will be along shortly."

"Yes, sir." Cedric replied, and then motioned for our parents to follow us. Gently but firmly he pushed me towards the stairs, and we started to move up towards Dumbledore's office. I could feel my parents eyes burn at my back, and tried to keep from throwing up. When the two gargoyles had jumped aside and the winding staircase led us up to Dumbledore's office, I was getting scared for real. We all entered the office, and my mum transfigured the chairs into three love seats, in which we all sat down. I was practically sitting on Cedric's lap, and was squeezing his hand so hard that my knuckles turned white. After about 10 long minutes of uncomfortable silence, Cedric's dad started to yell, which caused me to flinch.

"What were you thinking?!"

"Calm down Amos, yelling is not going to help this situation," my dad tried to reason with him, but to no avail.

"This _situation,"_ he said the word with a sneer, "is that your daughter got herself knocked up."

Dad's eyes narrowed. "She's not the only one in this you know. If your boy had taken some bloody responsibility this would never have happened!" with that, hell unleashed. Cedric's dad started to yell at my dad, who yelled back. Both our mums tried to calm their husbands down, but it didn't work. I felt tears appear in my eyes, and Cedric looked concerned at me. Then his eyes too narrowed, and he turned to our parents.

"Shut the fuck up!" the silence that followed were deafening, and I could see that he was gonna get yelled at by his dad for cussing. "Can't you see what this is doing to us? To you?" they at least had the decency to lok a bit ashamed. "If you can't talk to each other without yelling, then I suggest you leave." I was so proud of him in that moment, and would have kissed him if we were alone. Cedric' mum looked from me to Cedric and then nodded slightly.

"Off course dear, but you have to answer some questions. When did this happen?"

"The end of January," my voice was shaking.

"Well, did you ever consider having an abortion?" her voice wasn't angry, or disappointing. Just understanding.

I shook my head. "It was never an option." Cedric squeezed my head harder. "I'm not against it, but for me it was never an option."

"We're getting married," Cedric said, his voice determent. I couldn't help but to notice that his eyes were glued to his father, as if talking only to him.

"Because you were too stupid to use protection?" his father's voice was stern, and dripping with disappointment.

"No, because I love her. Even if we weren't having this baby I'd propose. Maybe not now, but sooner or later."

"And it should have been later!" He was standing up now, and shook off his wife's hand on his arm. "You're throwing away your life, Cedric, can't you see that? You're a brilliant student, you can be whatever you want to. But not now, when you're not even going to finish school!"

"We are going to finish school!" Cedric was standing up now too, his face starting to get red from anger. I had never seen him like this before, and it scared me a little. "Professor Dumbledore has promised both me and Ava that we can do our NEWT's this summer, since we're both at the top of our class."

Cedric's father looked like he was hyperventalating, and his face was still red from anger. He started to stutter, trying hard to form the words but not being able to.

"That's wonderful news honey," Cedric's mum said, a crooked grin on her face. Huh, so that's where he gets it from.

"Are you even sure the baby's yours? I've heard what happened between her and the Baker boy at Christmas." The words hit me like a slap in the face, and I felt tears starting to fall down my face. Another yelling match started, except now my mum was in it too, yelling at Cedric's dad. My breathing sped up, and the stress was making me nauseous. Suddenly and unexpectedly I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen, like someone was picking me with a fire poker. I gasped, and grasped my stomach. Cedric's eyes turned to me, and they turned wide when he saw the tears and the painful expression on my face.

"Ava, what's wrong?" His worried tone caused the fight to stop, and everybody looked worriedly at me.

"I think it's the baby," I half whispered, half gasped as a new pain came, and I clenched my teeth not to scream. My mother grabbed my other hand and squeezed it.

"It's going to be okay, Ava. Can someone get a mediwitch?"

I could barely see or hear anything because of the pain; it consumed every fiber of my being. Still, somewhere in the back of my head I saw Cedric stand up and rush over to the fireplace, grab a handful of floo powder and throw it into the fire before sticking in his head and crying out for Madam Pomfrey. His panic stricken voice was the last thing I heard before everything went black.

--

When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was Cedric, who was sitting next to the bed I was laying in with his head resting by my side. I raised a tired hand and gently stroked his hair, which caused him to lift his head. I thought I saw faint traces of tears on his face before he embraced me tightly, burying his face in the crook of my neck.

"Ava, you scared me so much!"

"What happened?" My throat felt dry, and my voice cracked a bit. Then I remembered. The pain. The sharp, blinding pain in my stomach. "Is the baby okay?" I asked, almost panicking. I sat up sharply, and was preparing to get out of bed, but Cedric's hand on my shoulder stopped me.

He sat back in the chair, taking my hand in his. "Both you and the baby are fine. The stress caused the pain you felt, but Madam Pomfrey couldn't find anything out of the order. You do have to take it easy for the remains of the pregnancy. Another stress attack like this can cause you to miscarriage." I felt a huge weight lift of my shoulders when he said that, and I drew a sigh of relief.

"Where are my parents? And yours?"

He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "They're talking with professor Dumbledore. You've only been asleep for a few hours. It's just after noon."

"What is going to happen with us?"

He hesitated. "Both of our parents think that we should get married. As soon as possible."

I was shocked, and my mouth dropped open. We had previously decided not to marry until the school year was finished. "Do you want to get married now?"

"Do you?" He countered, and I sighed.

"I asked you first."

"For me it doesn't matter really. If we don't do it now, it's be in a month or two." He leaned forwads and placed a light kiss on my forehead. "You decide. Whatever makes you happy."

"You make me happy." I replied, and realized that my answer was written in my words. "We're getting married," I stated, a bit shocked now that it was actually real.

"We're getting married," Cedric echoed, and then turned to Madam Pomfrey, who was refilling a potion a few beds down. "Could you send after Professor Dumbledore please? It's rather urgent."

"Off course. Let me know if you need anything." She walked over to the fireplace and threw some green powder before disappearing into it.

"Can I have some water?" I asked Cedric, who conjured a glass and pointed his wand at it, mumbling _aguamenti. _I took the glass from him and gulped it down quickly, the water soothing my throat. Not a minute later Madam Pomfrey appeared in the fireplace, with Dumbledore following closely.

"Ah, Ms Roxley. How are you feeling?" he said with a friendly smile as he stopped at my bedside.

"Not too bad Professor, I've been both better and worse."

"I believe that you and Mr Diggory had something you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Yes. We want to respect our parents wishes and get married. Immediately."

"How immediatley?"

"Tonight?"

Dumbledore seemed a bit taken aback with this, but smiled anyway. "If that's what you and Mr Diggory wants. Shall we meet in my office at 8 tonight for the ceremony? I'll have to rush over to the Ministry now to get the papers needed. I'm going to send your parents in so that you can tell them the good news. Oh and Ms Roxley, I've connected the fireplace in your room to the one in Madam Malkins so that you can purchase a dress. If you need anything else, let me know." He strode out of the Hospital Wing, and the moment he left our parents entered, looking worriedly at us. My mother looked like she had been crying, and she took my hand solemnly.

"Darling, I'm so sorry for what we've put you through today. Can you forgive us?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I forgive you."

"Ava, you have no idea how sorry I am. Words can't describe how much I regret the words I threw at you." Mr Diggory said, looking deeply ashamed of himself.

"It's alright Mr Diggory. I don't blame you for looking out for Cedric."

"Please, call me Amos." He smiled, and I gave one back. Then I remembered what they were here for, and turned to my parents. "By the way, Cedric and I are getting married tonight."

--

The sound that and Tara gave when I told her that Cedric and I was getting married was enough to pierce eardrums, and both my and Cedric's mother laughed the face I gave. After eating a quick lunch, we all gathered in my and Cedric's room to floo to Madam Malkins. My mother entered first, followed shortly by Cedric's mum, me and lastly Tara. When we landed we were greeted by Madam Malkin herself, who smiled at us.

"Hello, welcome to Madam Malkins. How may I be of service?"

"We're looking for a wedding dress for my daughter Ava. She's getting married tonight." Mum gestured to me, and Madam Malkin grin turned even bigger.

"I know you. You're getting married to Cedric Diggory, am I right?" I blushed, but nodded. "Well come on then." She grabbed my elbow and led me over to a section with more dresses than I'd ever seen, in varying shapes and colours. "What do you have in mind?"

"Uh...I want something simple. The wedding is really small, so nothing elegant."

"Which shape would you like?" she was pointing her wand at me, and measuring tapes were swirling all around me, taking my measurements.

"Empire line?" I looked questioningly at my mother, who nodded slightly.

"Alright dear, we'll see what I can do." She started to rummage through the dresses, and I looked at Tara who was looking around too. Now, the nerves started to hit me. The fact that in about 8 hours time, I would be married.

"Are you alright, dear?" Jemma, Cedric's mum asked me, placing a hand on my arm.

"I'm fine," I smiled at her. "Just got some nerves is all."

"Here you go," Madam Malkin handed me a couple of dresses and led me in the direction of the dressing rooms. I tried on the first dress, but found it too puffy for my taste. The other three dresses I tried on were beautiful, but none of them really felt like my dress. I was just about to give up hope when Tara approached me with a dress.

"Try this one on Ava, it's amazing."

I took her advice, and put the dress on. The first thing I noticed was that the chiffon fabric felt smooth against my skin, and I particularly liked the pleating in the floor length skirt. When I looked myself in the mirror, I knew that this was _the _dress. It had a square neckline with thin straps, and an empire line cut. I ran my hands down the fabric, and looked up when I heard Tara's voice from outside the dressing room.

"Well? Can we see it?"

I drew back the curtain and stepped out, pushing a strand of hair back from my face. "What do you think?"

"This is so the dress!" Tara exclaimed, clapping her hands and smiling big.

"You look beautiful, Ava," Jemma said, and both Madam Malkin and my mother agreed.

"Do you like it?" My mother asked, and I nodded, trying to keep the big grin off my face.

"I love it. This is the dress I want to get."

"I'll go set up with the payment," my mum smiled, and followed Madam Malkin to the front of the store to pay. I went back into the dressing room to change back into my regular clothes, which felt weird after having the great dress on.

"Do we need to shop for anything else?" Tara asked when I rejoined them, the dress safely wrapped and hanging on my arm. "You have to do the 'something new, something old, something borrowed, something blue', it's tradition."

"What do you propose?"

She thought about it for a second. "Well, your dress is new, I'm guessing you'll be wearing your necklace; which means something old, something blue can be your lingerie, and I can borrow you a pair of shoes. That sound good?" Instead of answering, I moved forwards and gave her a hug.

"Thank you," I said when we broke apart.

"For what?"

"For being such a good friend to me. For being there when I needed someone."

"That's what friends are for," she smiled.

After mum quickly flooed back to put my dress in the room (after putting a charm on it so that she was the only one who could open the wrap) we went to buy some lingerie, which caused my face to turn red. Technically it shouldn't, because I was pregnant so obviously I'd had sex, but it was still weird shopping sexy lingerie with my mother. Settling on something simple, I decided on a pair of white lace boy-shorts and a white strapless bra. When we got back, it was almost 4 o'clock, and I was whisked away to eat before the beauty treatment started.

**Like it? Loathe it? Love it? Let me know.**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: I promised I'd update this weekend, and so I did =) Pretty please with sugar on top review. Two small things before I'm done:**

**1) On May 9th the wonderful writer Daddy's Little Cannibal was killed in a car accident, and for those of you who have read her stories you know that this is a great loss. Because of this, I've given her name to Ava as a middle name, as a tribute.**

**2) The inspiration for Ava's look in this chapter is based on Serena's at the White Party in 2x01 "Summer Kind of Wonderful" of Gossip Girl.**

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**Falling at my own pace**

**Chapter 26**

This primping wasn't unlike the one I had to endure before the Yule Ball, except that I now had four females primping me instead of one. Jennifer had joined us for dinner when we got back, and complained that the homework Flitwick had given her was so bad that she still wasn't finished, and she'd worked on it the entire day. That reminded me that I also had a lot of homework to do, but I really couldn't be bothered with it. Exams were coming up, and I should really have been studying day and night. Especially since we were going to stay three weeks after the term had officially ended to take our N.E.W.T's. I was taking them in Potions, Defense against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms and Herbology. Both Cedric and I chose to skip our History of Magic when Dumbledore said we only had to have 5 subjects.

I hadn't seen Cedric since lunch, and I missed him. Tara had steered me in the other direction when she saw him in the Great Hall, claiming that it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding. Ethan had just been in to pick up Cedric's dress robes, and had given me a hug and a kiss on the cheek before disappearing to God knows where. It didn't take Cedric nearly as long to get ready, so he at least had a chance to relax before the wedding.

"Go shower, and don't dry your hair," my mother commanded the minute I set foot inside my room, and I followed her orders. The warm shower helped get rid of some nerves and also softened up my stiff back and neck muscles. I put on my new lingre, got dressed in a soft, fluffy dressing gown and wandered out where the others were waiting. I sat down on the chair provided for me, and watched them get to work. The atmospere was light, and I forgot to feel nervous.

Tara, who was the master of hair, worked with my flat hair for over an hour before she finally was satisfied. My hair was in an updo with masses of curls in the back, and a few tendrils down to frame my face. A double silver hairband was perched on my head, matching the Grecian style of my dress. My make up was done light with some shimmer, just the way I liked it.

"Here's your something borrowed and blue," Tara said, and handed me a pair of light blue ballet flats. I put them on, and then looked at myself in the floorlength mirror. I had never felt so beautiful in my entire life. The bodice of the dress hugged my upper- body, and then it flared out over my swollen stomach. As I ran my hands down over my abdomen, the baby kicked, and I smiled. I took it as a sign, and all my nerves melted away. This ceremony was, in my mind, more for our parents benefit. I already knew that I would be with Cedric until the day I died, signing a few documents wouldn't change that.

_Flashback_

_The late November air was a bit chilly and I snuggled up closer to his side__, molding my body to his and resting my head on his chest. We were laying down by the Quidditch pitch in the afternoon sun, a few days after the first task._

"_Do you ever think about the future?" __Cedric asked suddenly, and I re-positioned my body so that I could look at him without craning my neck. _

"_Sometimes. Do you?"_

_He nodded, which caused his golden hair to fall down into his eyes. I reached up a hand to brush it away, and he caught it on the way back, kissing it softly. "When I think about the future, all I see is you." _

_I felt my heart flutter, and a stupid grin covered my face. "The same here." I propped myself up on one elbow and stroked an unruly piece of hair from my face before leaning down to kiss him. His lips were warm and soft on my own, and I smiled slightly against his mouth. After doing some light kissing for a few minutes, he pulled back._

"_Did you know that I saw you at the World Cup?" _

_I frowned. "You did? How come I didn't see you?"_

_His cheeks turned a bit red. "I saw you after the game, talking to your brother. I remember how vibrant and full of life you looked, and I knew then that I had to get to know you." He gave a small chuckle. "I don't know how I ever lived without you." _

_I leaned down to kiss him again. "I love you," _

"_You have no idea how much I love you."_

_End Flashback_

"Ava, are you ready?"

I looked up at Tara, and nodded. "I'm ready. Here comes the rest of my life." I walked ahead of them to the fireplace, grabbed the floo powder and stepped in. "Dumbledore's office," I spoke loud and clear, throwing the green powder at my feet. When I arrived in Dumbledore's office, my eyes found Cedric's immediately. He looked better than ever in his black dress robes, and a small giggle left my throat when I saw that he had at least attempted to tame his hair, but with little success. I stepped out of the fireplace and he met me halfways, embracing me tightly. I felt his hot breath in my ear at the same time the whosh of the fireplace let me know that the others had arrived.

"You look too beautiful for words." A quick kiss to not ruin my make up, and then we turned to face Dumbledore. He was smiling, and looked truly happy to be here.

"Shall we get to written part over with first?"

We agreed, and I read over the paper quickly before signing it. Cedric did the same, and our friends and family signed as witnesses. Then we stood in front of Dumbledore; he cleared his throat, and the ceremony began. I felt myself zone out during the first part of the ceremony, the only thing I could concentrate on was Cedric's hand clasped in mine. Somewhere along the way rings were exchanged, and I remember that my hands were shaking as I slid the white gold ring onto Cedric's finger. The ring that was slid onto my finger had a small row of diamonds on it, to match my engagement. Somewhere far back in my mind I wondered who bought the rings, but was pulled out of my thoughts for the most important part of the wedding.

"Do you, Cedric Amos, take Ava Stephanie to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Cedric looked at me, a happy grin on his face. "I do."

"And do you, Ava Stephanie, take Cedric Amos to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

I blinked back the tears in my eyes. "I do."

Dumbledore smiled, and raised his wand. "I now pronounce you husband and wife." He waved his wand over our heads, and a shower of stars fell upon our entwined fingers. "You may kiss the bride."

When Cedric's soft lips met mine, I heard clapping from behind me, and I smiled into his mouth. "I love you Mr Diggory," I smiled when we broke apart.

"And I love you Mrs Diggory," he responded, and pressed another kiss to my lips. As we broke apart from each other, we were overpowered by friends and family who hugged us tightly. All the females were crying openly, and I felt tears appear in my eyes again as I turned around to face my friends and family.

"Bloody hell mum, you're going to make me cry too!" I cried, hugging her close to me. She gave a tearful laugh in my ear, and brushed away her tears when he broke apart.

"I can't help it! My baby's all grown up."

After giving my dad an awkward hug (he was never one for showing emotions) I hugged Jemma fiercly.

"Welcome to the family," she whispered in my ear, and I nodded.

"Thank you for having me, Jemma," I responded, and then broke the hug.

"I think that we should leave the new Mr and Mrs Diggory to themselves," Dumbledore's voice sounded, and he turned to our parents. "Why don't I show you where you'll be staying?"

"That sounds wonderful," my mother said, "but I'm afraid that we have to get going. We're having dinner at my parents house tomorrow, and I want to tell them myself that I allowed their 17 year old granddaughter to get married. Their going to have a heart attack." She actually looked a bit scared, and I laughed.

"I'm sure it'll be fine mum," I reassured her. "Send them my love and tell them not to worry." I gave her a hug.

"I will sweetie. I'll see you at the end of the term, okay?"

"I will. Bye mum, bye dad." I gave them both another hug, and then they left. Dumbledore showed Cedric's parents to where they would stay, leaving me and Cedric with our friends.

"Congratulations, I'm so happy for you." Tara hugged me tightly, and then looked at Cedric. "I don't care that you're Ethan's best mate, if you hurt her I'll kill you. Slowly."

I started to laugh, but then her words sunk in. "Wait, what do you mean with that?"

She looked guilty at me, and it was then I noticed that she was holding Ethan's hand. My chin hit the floor. "When did this happen?"

"A few days ago," Ethan said, a smile on his face.

I walked forwards and gave him a hug. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks Ava." He stepped back and shook Cedric's hand.

"Good for you, mate." A smile passed between the two friends. "I think it's time for us to leave. Give you some alone time. Don't do anything that I wouldn't do," he winked.

"I think it's a little late for that," I smirked, gesturing to my stomach. Laughter passed between us, like we were just four friends having fun. Which we undoubtedly were, even though Cedric and I were married. Wow. Married. It hadn't really sunk in yet that we were in fact _married_.

"Have fun anyway," Tara winked before her and Ethan left, holding hands and walking close to each other.

Cedric turned to look at me. "Shall we Mrs Diggory?"

I gave a big grin. "Yes we shall Mr Diggory."

We flooed down to our room, and the first thing I noticed was that the lights had been dimmed, and that there were a bunch of candles all over the room.

"Cedric," I gasped, moving forwards into the room. "Did you do all this for me?" he embraced me from behind, planting a kiss to the crook of my neck and wrapping his arms around my middle.

"I had Ethan set it up before the ceremony. The candles won't burn out until we blow them out. You deserve this, my lovely wife."

I spun around in his arms. "I'm never going to get tired of hearing you say that."

"My wife." He places a kiss on my left cheek. "My wife." Another one on my right cheek, lingering a bit longer. "_My wife._" His warm lips met mine, and I tilted my head back to give him better access. When my lungs started to burn I pulled away. With a small smirk on my face, my hands went up to my hair. I loosened the hairband and threw it on the floor before releasing my hair from the updo Tara had struggled so hard on. It fell around my shoulders in waves, and Cedric reached out a hand to trail his fingers through a lock of hair.

"You're so beautiful, do you know that?" I blushed, and shook my head. "It's true. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

"You don't have to try to butter me up, I'm already yours,"

A small chuckle fell from his mouth. "I know, but I want to remind you just how wonderful you are."

I embraced him tightly, resting my cheek against his chest. His hands stroked my back, and I felt my breathing speed up when he started to place light kisses on my neck. Stepping back, I took his hand in mine and led him towards the bed, planning making this the most memorable night of our lives. When we joined it was sweet and tender, with hot breaths in each others ears, moans muffled by mouths. Sweaty skin sliding against each other and fingers running through silky hair. Exhausted, I fell asleep.

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**Like it? Love it? Loathe it? Let me know.**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: It's been a week, I know. I usually update faster than that, but I've been having a bit of trouble writing lately. Good news is that the chapter is up, and that I'm actually proud of it. On a more sadder note, I might not be able to update for another week, two at the most because I have both math test and psychology test this week, and I have to go to driving lessons and so, so I'm going to be pretty busy. I'll do my best though =) Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters. **

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**Falling at my own pace**

**Chapter 27**

When I woke up the next morning, I was filled with an emotion of complete bliss that I hadn't felt before. I rolled over on my back and stared up into the ceiling, feeling a stupid grin form on my face. I sat up and ran a hand through my hair, giggling a bit when I felt the baby kick. I looked to my right as I heard the door open.

"Good morning Mrs Diggory," Cedric smiled as he walked in from the bathroom and I smiled at him. I was never going to get used to hearing him say that.

"Good morning Mr Diggory," I answered, crawling to the end of the bed. I pushed myself up on my knees and pulled him down for a kiss. I threaded my fingers through his hair and pulled a bit, enticing a groan from his lips.

"Okay, we need to stop. My parents are leaving soon and we should go say goodbye,"

I frowned. "What time is it?"

"Almost 10,"

I gasped, moving to crawl off the bed. "Why didn't you wake me earlier? You know I have to study for my exams."

He smirked. "I figured that after last night, you might need your strength."

I lightly punched his arm at the reminder of last night. To say that my legs felt like jello would be an understatement. "Haha, very funny," I stood up and straightened out my nightshirt. "Give me 10 minutes." I went to the bathroom and took a quick shower, magically drying my hair and putting it into a braid when I was done. I got dressed in comfortable shoes and then went downstairs with Cedric's hand clasped tight in mine.

We met up with Ethan and Tara outside the Great Hall, and I 'aweed' when Ethan gave her a quick kiss. I hadn't really noticed it before, but they looked at each other the way that Cedric and I did. After chatting for a few minutes we went to see Cedric's parents, who was staying in a room on the third floor, in a wing I didn't even knew existed. We followed them down to the gate, so that they could apparate their selves home.

"We'll see each other soon mum, it's only like four days away." Cedric tried to comfort his mother as she broke down in tears outside the gates.

"I know, but it'll be different. You're not my little boy anymore. You're a grown man, with a wife and a baby on the way. I'm so proud of you." Turning away from Cedric, she looked at me and enfulged me in a tight hug. "You are everything we could hope for as Cedric's partner. He would never have found anyone as special as you."

"Aww Jemma, you're making me cry now too!" I sniffled, and brushed away a few stray tears at her words.

"She's right though Ava," Cedric's father said, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Though we might have gotten off on the wrong foot I think you're everything Cedric needs." He turned to his son. "Treat her right, and make me proud son." They embraced, and then with a loud bang, nothing remained but a few leaves that twirled up.

I wrapped my arms around Cedric's waist and looked up at him. "Your dad wasn't that bad." I was referring to the fact that Cedric had claimed on multiple occasions that his father had pushed him alot, and was the sole reason why he had entered in the Tournament.

Cedric shook his head slowly, and reached up a slender hand to brush away the hair from his eyes. "He can be extremely nice when he wants to be. Don't get me wrong, I love him, but sometimes the pressure he puts on me is too much."

I hugged him to me closer. "It's going to be okay. If he gets too much I'll tell him off. I'm your wife now, remember ?"

He chuckled, and brushed his lips against mine softly. "I know, and I wouldn't have it any other way." Then he straightened out. "Let's go have breakfast, I'm starving."

--

The rest of the day was spent studying for my upcoming exams, and I would really have liked several cups of coffee to be able to study longer. But, coffee had been banned by Madam Pomfrey, so I had to stick with tea. I had Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts exams on Monday, Potions and History of Magic on Tuesday, and Charms and Transfiguration on Wednesday. I had Thursday off, thank God, so that I could get myself mentally prepared for the third task. Cedric wanted to get in at least an hour practise every day up until the task, and between my studying and his practise, I knew I wouldn't see so much of him.

At dinner, I was absentmindedly fingering my necklace when I noticed that Cedric wasn't at the table. I questioned Ethan on his whereabouts.

"He wanted to look up some more curses, he'll be down in the common room shortly. I'll go with you down there, if you're done."

"Yeah, I'm done." We moved down towards the common room, Ethan walking behind me in case I slipped. We had just come down to the right level when a pressure on my stomach made me stop. Ethan almost crashed into me, and a series of profanities fell from his mouth. I turned around to face him, a wide grin on my face.

"Feel this," I grabbed his hand and guided it to my stomach.

"What are you..." he trailed off when the baby kicked again, and his hazel eyes lit up. "That's amazing!"

"I know! He's been kicking a lot lately, but it's still as amazing each time?"

"He?" Ethan frowned. "I thought you hadn't found out the sex of the baby yet."

"We haven't. It's just a mother's intuition. Cedric thinks it's a girl."

"Would you like a boy or a girl?"

I thought about it for a second. "I don't really know. As long as the baby's healthy it's fine."

I heard footsteps coming from behind Ethan, and moved to the side to see who it was. A grin formed on my face when I saw Cedric walking towards us, his hands stuck deep into his pockets.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Hey mate. The baby kicked, and Ava let me feel it. It's bloody amazing,"

"I know," Cedric grinned. He pulled me close and placed a kiss to the top of my head. "Amazing."

--

The next morning I stood in front of the mirror with a scowl on my face. I tried for the 10th time to button my shirt over my breasts, but couldn't get it shut. "I hate being pregnant," I muttered angrily.

Cedric came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my stomach, leaning his chin on the top of my head. "I don't know; I kinda like it,"

"Off course you would, you're a guy. Try having to transfigure all your clothing because your boobs are too big to fit for a week and then say that it's nice." I put an elbow in his gut and moved to put on the rest of my clothing.

"Aww, Ava, don't be like that." He embraced me again, and I sighed, leaning my head on his chest.

"I'm sorry. I just get frustrated."

"I know. What do you say if we get down to breakfast?"

I looked up at him and nodded. "That sounds wonderful, I'm starving." I gave him a quick kiss and threw on the rest of my uniform before following Cedric downstairs for breakfast. The tension that was in the air was no doubt because of the exams, and both Tara and Ethan had their noses buried in a book, their joined hands laying between them. I giggled slightly, and grabbed a piece of toast.

I was halfway done with the omelet I was currently eating when Cedric pushed a glass in front of me. I looked at it with a raised brow, taking in the dark murky colour.

"What's this?" I asked Cedric, and I felt both Ethan's and Tara's eyes follow me.

"It's tomato juice. It's good for you and the baby, Madam Pomfrey said so."

I looked at him like he was crazy. "I don't care, I'm not drinking that."

He sighed, and looked like he was dealing with a 3-year old. Well, I was not going to drink that. I hate tomato juice. "Ava, please." His eyes turned pleading, and I knew that my case was lost.

"That's cheating, you know," I muttered as I grabbed the glass and raised it to my lips. I gave Cedric one last glare, pinched my nostrils together and swallowed the juice as fast as I could. When I was done I put the glass down and gave my dear _husband _a glare that could kill. "If I knew you were this bossy I never would have married you."

He took my hand and gently kissed my knuckles. "Tough luck; you did, and I'm not letting you go." He grinned crookedly, and I felt my resolve crumble. I never could stay mad at him.

"I hope for your sake that you don't. If you leave me I'll kill you." With those words I leaned forwards and pressed my lips against his. When his lips parted against mine I playfully bit his lower lip, and smiled against his lips. My fingers found his hair and I pulled on it slightly, earning a soft groan from him.

"You really need to eat your breakfast, the exams are in 10 minutes." Tara's voice broke through our haze, and I left Cedric's mouth. Finishing up my now cold omelet, I drank two cups of tea before Dumbledore announced that the Great Hall would now be used as exams for the sixth years.

I followed my fellow sixth years out into the entrance hall while they prepared the Great Hall for the exams, and waiting anxiously with Cedric's arms wrapped around my middle. I struck up a conversation with Fred and George while I waited. Apparently they had had a month's detention with Snape for shrinking each other's heads in Potions. It felt nice to laugh, it took my mind off the exams.

When the doors opened for us to enter, I gave Cedric one last trembling kiss and stepped into the Great Hall. I took a seat in the back, and waited for everyone to get seated so that we could start. After a few words from Flitwick, who was supervising, we were allowed to start.

I looked at the first question and read it. _"Describe what an Inferi is and how you recognize one."_ I thought about how I would formulate my answer, and then started to write. Time flew by, and I was surprised when I heard Flitwick's voice saying that we only had 10 minutes left. I quickly looked through my answers, and then sat back and relaxed, knowing that I did good.

When we were let out of the Great Hall two hours later, Cedric was waiting for me and I threw myself into his arms. He chuckled and held me close, as close as he could with my stomach in the way.

"Did you do well?" he asked when I pulled away from him, and I nodded.

"It went better than I expected. Now I only have Herbology to worry about after lunch."

--

My Herbology exam went fine, and so did the other exams. Because of the fact that me and Cedric would do our NEWT's this summer, Dumbledore called me into his office on Wednesday night. I sat down anxiously, waiting for him to start talking. He was reading the paper in front of him with a huge amount of concentration, it looked like he was trying to burn a hole through the paper. My stomach rumbled, reminding me that it was almost dinner time. When 10 minutes had passed, I was starting to get a bit inpatient.

"Sir?" I asked timidly, and he looked up at me, almost as if he'd forgotten that I was there.

"Oh, I'm sorry Mrs Diggory." I felt my heart swell when he said that. "Do forgive an old man, whose mind keeps on wandering."

"That's alright sir, I'm sure you have a lot on your mind."

"That I do my child, that I do. Now, let's not delay this any further shall we?" he handed me a thick yellow envelope with the name _Ava Diggory _written on it. "You may open it here or in your room, it is entirely up to you."

"I think I might want to open it in my room," I said, and he nodded.

"So be it. Good luck, and I'll see you at the third task tomorrow."

"Thank you sir." I stood up and made my way down to the common room. I was nervous as hell, especially since these results were the grounds of the NEWT's. The common room was particularly swamped since it was just before dinner, and I squeezed my way through the students to get to Cedric. When he saw me coming he stood up, and eyed the envelope I was carrying.

"Is it?"

I nodded. "It is. Can we open it together?"

"Yeah, off course."

When we entered our room, I sat down on the bed, still staring at the envelope in my hands. "I can't open it." I said, looking at Cedric as he sat down next to me.

"Yes you can," he gave me an encouraging smile, and I took a deep breath before opening the envelope. I pulled out the thick, folded paper, and stared at it for a moment before unfolding it. It stood there, black on white, but I still had to read it three times before it finally stuck.

_Defense Against the Dark Arts – __Outstanding_

_Transfiguration – Outstanding_

_Charms – Outstanding_

_History of Magic – Exceeds Expectations_

_Herbology – Exceeds Expectations_

_Potions – Outstanding_

"What does it say?" Cedric asked, and I handed him the paper, still slightly numb from the results. He looked through them, and a wide grin spread on his face. "Ava, this is amazing! I'm so proud of you." He embraced me in a hug, and I could feel laughter bubbling up in my throat.

"I'm so relieved!" I laughed, wiping the tears from my eyes. "I never expected to pass my History of Magic exam, I've been in a zombie state for most of the classes."

"You did excellent. Now it's only the NEWT's left."

Yes it was, and right now, I felt like I could handle anything.

**Like it? Loathe it? Love it? Let me know.**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Ha, I bet you didn't expect an update this quick did you? You should count your blessings and read this chapter really slowly, because I'm not going to be able to update until the weekend. I have to study both Tuesday and Wednesday, and it takes a while for me to write. So I can almost 100 % promise I'll update on Friday. If I don't, the update won't be until Sunday because I'm going out of town then. Enough with the rambling though and on with the chapter =)**

**Disclaimer: I Don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.**

* * *

**Falling at my own pace**

**Chapter 28**

The day was finally here. The third task. The climax of the school year. The day that everybody had been waiting for. Including me. I woke up just before breakfast, and smiled at Cedric, who was still sleeping.

"Wake up sweetie." I stroked his cheek and giggled softly when he buried his face down in the pillow. "It's almost breakfast time, you need to get up."

He opened one bleary eye, and a sleepy grin covered his lips. "Morning, luv." He gave me a kiss, and I leaned into him, not ready to let him go yet. Still he managed to break the kiss. "We should get down to breakfast."

I pouted. "First you want to sleep, and then when I want to cuddle you want to eat. Sometimes I think you don't care about me at all." I pushed myself off him and sat up, a teasing smile on my lips.

"Well, I have to admit, I was only drawn to you because of your looks." He sat up behind me, his legs on either side of my body and his arms wrapped around my waist.

"The feeling's mutual," I gave a fake grin, and he kissed my neck. "Come on, we're going to be late for breakfast." I pushed myself off the bed and went to the bathroom to shower. When I had adjusted the temperature, I felt a pair of hands grab my hips. "You got a reason for being in here?" I smirked, pressing my wet body back against his.

"Do I need a reason to shower with my beautiful wife? Other than the fact that I love her dearly, off course." one of his hands slid down between my legs, and stroked me gently while the other one came up to palm my breast.

"No," I moaned, feeling out of breath. "No reason."

He chuckled and spread my legs a little wider with his hand. I felt him hold himself at my entrance, teasing me. "Good. Because I'm not looking for a _reason_." With the last word he buried himself in me, and a whimper fell from my mouth. I braced myself against the wall, and slowly started to push my hips back against his. His hands found my breasts, and he caressed them gently. I threw my head back in pleasure, regretting that I wasn't able to look at him. Because of the stomach, this was one of the positions that was most comfortable for me.

For the next few minutes all that was heard was our joined moans and groans. I could feel myself getting closer, and edged him on to go faster and deeper. Then his hand went down between my legs and stroked my sweet spot, and I came apart in his arms. He followed me shortly, and wrapped his arms tightly around my waist as he came inside me. He pulled out of me, and when our breathing had returned to normal, I turned around to face him.

"I knew you only wanted me for the sex," I teased, and he laughed.

"Off course. Why else?" a crooked grin on his face, I leaned up and kissed him. We took our time washing each other, and we were both semi-turned on when we were done. Not having the time though, we got dressed.

We entered the Great Hall 15 minutes later feeling satisfied and giddy. His hand was tightly clasped in mine as we made our way to the end of the table where there were two free seats. Before starting to eat I did my normal routine of reading the morning paper. As I read the newest article by Rita Skeeter I was disgusted by her.

"I can't believe her."

"What, luv?"

"Skeeter's been writing about Harry again. Someone should really tell her off." I reached for some scrambled eggs, and then grabbed a waffle and put it on my plate. I put the eggs on the waffle, sprayed on some ketchup, and started to eat. I stopped when I saw that Cedric was staring at me.

"What?" I asked, my mouth still full with breakfast.

"That is disgusting."

I swallowed the food and stuck my tongue out at him. Quickly he grabbed my tongue between his teeth and pulled it into his mouth. We kissed for a few moments until he pulled away.

"Scrambled Eggs and waffles," he made a face of digust. "Eww."

I slapped his arm. "If you keep that up I'll find someone that shares my good taste."

He kissed my cheek. "Good luck with that."

I huffed and threw a piece of toast at him. What could have been a full out food fight was stopped by Professor McGonagall, who came up to us.

"Diggory, the Champions are to meet in the antechamber after breakfast."

"But the task isn't until tonight!" I could hear a slight panic in his voice, like he wondered if he'd gotten the time wrong.

"I am well aware of the fact, Diggory. The champions' families have been invited to watch the third task, you see. This is simply for you to have a chance to catch uo with them before it starts. Oh, and congratulations on your marriage by the way." She left, and Cedric and I looked after her.

"She was actually civil for once. I never thought I'd see that." Cedric sounded as surprised as I felt, and I nodded.

"Yeah. You should go meet your family. I'm gonna go find Tara."

"You sure? You can come if you want."

I shook my head, placing a hand on his arm. "You go talk to your parents, and your dad. I know you need to. I'll see you later, okay?" I leaned down and gave him a kiss before going to the library to locate Tara.

--

I didn't see Cedric until dinner, and when I did I got worried about how pale he was. I immediatley wrapped my arms around him, giving him the comfort and support he needed.

"You okay?"

"I feel sick," he responded, sighing and leaning his head on my shoulder.

"You should try to eat something. Please, for me."

He pulled back and looked down at me, a very small smile on his lips. "For you."

We walked into the Great Hall, and sat down at the table next to our friends. There were more kinds of foods than usual, and I made sure that Cedric ate at least a plate of food. He would need the energy in the maze. I even managed to eat myself, even though I felt sick with nerves.

When Dumbledore told us that there was 5 minutes left, and that the Chamipons were to follow Ludo Bagman, I gave Cedric a hard, long kiss before letting him go.

"I'll be proud of you no matter how you do. I love you."

"I love you too. I'll win for you Ava, and for our baby." He placed a hand on my swollen stomach, and gave me one last kiss before leaving with Harry, Fleur and Krum. I felt Tara grab my hand, and I squeezed it tightly.

"Come on Ava, let's go."

We went down to the Quidditch Field, Jennifer holding one of my hands and Tara the other. We sat down far down, and I tried to control my breathing. This was worse than the first task. This time, I had more to lose. Then I only had my boyfriend. Now I had my husband, and the father of my child. Ludo Bagman spoke, announcing that Cedric and Harry was to start, then Krum and lastly Fleur. He blew a short signal in his whistle, and Harry and Cedric took off into the maze. A few minutes after, Krum entered the maze, and then Fleur a few minutes after him.

Now the talking started. Everyone was talking with their friends on which kind of obstacles there might be in the maze, and who would win. It seemed like the most students were rooting for Cedric, and then Krum. This didn't make me any calmed, and I stared at the entrance, hoping with every fiber of my being that Cedric would come out alive and unharmed.

Both Tara and Jennifer tried to distract me by talking about the baby, but it didn't work. Ethan told lame jokes I didn't laugh at, and Ryan told us about his detention with Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest. Still, my attention was on the maze.

After what seemed like forever, I saw a series of red sparks shooting up in the air, and I gasped. Tears started to form in my eyes, and I squeezed Tara's hand so hard that it hurt.

"It's probably not him," she tried to comfort me. I sat still like a statue, and didn't even flinch when Ethan wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to him.

"He's going to make it Ava, I promise. He's talented; he can do it."

In that moment, Professor McGonagall appeared in front of the entrance to the maze, holding an unconscious Fleur. A tall blonde woman and a shorter man hurried up to her, both of them shouting loudly in French. These were her parents, I gathered. I let out a sigh of relief that it wasn't Cedric, even though I felt for them.

"It's not him," I muttered.

The sky was getting darker by the minute, and the stars were starting to come out. It brought out memories of me and Cedric laying up in the astromony tower, watching the stars. A collective gasp went through the crowd, and I looked up to see more red sparks in the dark sky. My whole body froze, I couldn't breathe, and I went numb. Not a minute later Professor Moody appeared, holding on to Krum, who was unconscious. Now only Cedric and Harry was in the maze, and every Hogwarts student was on their feet, clapping and cheering.

I turned to face Ethan. "I have a really bad feeling about this,"

"He's going to be fine, Ava. He can take care of himself."

I felt the tears start to fall down my face. "I can't loose him Ethan. If he doesn't make it, I'm going to die."

"No!" he shook his head vigorously. "You can't. You have your baby to take care of."

"I'm just so scared," I whispered, choking back a sob. Ethan pulled me close, rubbing my back in a soothing matter. I looked up when someone cleared their throat, and made an attempt to smile when I saw the Weasly twins standing there.

"Hey guys," I said weakly, and they grinned.

"I don't see why you're so sad," Fred said.

"Now it's only Cedric and Harry left,"

"And Cedric will kick Harry's ass,"

"He's done it before,"

"And he'll do it again," they finished off together, and I couldn't help but to let a chuckle rise from my throat.

"Thanks."

They returned to their seats, and I pushed down the feeling in my gut. Then, with a loud bang, two figures appeared in front of the maze. Everybody went wild, clapping and cheering. I crained my neck to see better, and my eyes turned wide. Harry was dirty, bloody, and his body was shaking with sobs. He was holding on to something, and I immediatley recognized the yellow and black robes.

It was Cedric.

He wasn't moving.

**Like it? Love it? Loathe it? Let me know.**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Okay, so this is the last chapter of Falling at my own Pace, besides an epilogue I'm going to post as soon as I have time. I just want to give HUGE kudos to everybody who has read and reviewed this, and stood by me even when I hadn't updated for nearly a month. It's pretty sad to be finished with this fic, but I feel that I have told Cedric's and Ava's story, and the rest is up to them =) Please leave a review, it would be wonderful if I could hit 100 reviews. Enjoy your reading.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.**

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**Falling at my own pace**

**Chapter 29**

_It was Cedric._

_He wasn't moving. _

My heart stopped. I only stared at Cedric's unmoving body. Then it caught up with me. With a strength I didn't know I had I pushed Ethan's arms away and made my way down to the pitch, walking as fast as I could. Professor Sprout tried to stop me, but I brushed her away. Tears were streaming down my face, but I made no sound. Only when I pushed away Harry and fell down to the ground at Cedric's body did I make a sound. Between the screaming and sobbing I can't remember what I said. Probably confessions of love and anger at him for leaving me. His eyes were closed, and I stroked my hand along his cheek, feeling the warmth from his body. Soon he'd be cold.

Harry was crying too, and was speaking about something to Dumbledore. All I could distinguish was "he's back," and then Harry was led away by Moody. I was still clinging to Cedric's body, my tears flowing freely over his warm body. As I leaned my forehead on his chest, I felt it. His chest was moving. Up and down, rise and fall. I stared at him for a minute, before I found my voice.

"He's alive!" My eyes met Dumbledore's, and they read surprise. "He's alive," I repeated in a whisper. The next few minutes happened in a blur. I was pulled away from Cedric's body, probably by Ethan, and Professor Snape conjured a stretcher from somewhere, and they lifted Cedric up on it.

"Let me go, I want to go with him," I fought against Ethan, but the adrenaline had worn off and I couldn't get away from him.

"Soon Ava, soon. Dumbledore says that he'll come get us when Cedric wakes up. I'll take you up to the castle, but you have to stay calm. We don't want anything happening to the baby, do we?"

With Ethan supporting my weight, and Tara, Jennifer and Ryan following us, we walked up to the castle. I was led to outside the hospital wing, where I sat down on a stone bench, resting my head in my hands. Every sound suddenly seemed too loud. The wind that grabbed a hold of tapestries, Tara's footsteps as she walked to and fro in the hallway, Jennifer biting her nails, Ethan scuffing his boots and Ryan sniffling.

"Can't you all be quiet for one bloody minute?" I told them sharply, not looking up from my knees. I could feel them looking at me, but didn't care. They at least stopped making those sounds. Thank God for that. A few more minutes passed, and I relished in the silence. Then, the heavy oak doors to the infirmary opened, and I looked up.

Professor Snape came out, and regarded us all with a small nodd. "He's awake. You can see him now." He strode off, and I looked after him for a few seconds before standing up.

On shaky legs I walked into the infirmary, and to the bed to the far right. When I came closer I saw that Cedric was staring up into the seiling. He was popped up on some pillows, and they'd cleaned him up. He no longer had dirt and blood covering his face. When he heard my footsteps he turned his head to look at me, and his grey eyes filled with tears. He held out his arms and I stepped right into them, embracing him as tightly as I could with the tears still streaming down my face.

The position was uncomfortable for my back, so I lay down next to him on the bed, leaning my head against his shoulder and entwining our hands on his stomach. He kissed the top of my head.

"I thought I'd lost you," I sniffled, clutching his hand harder.

"I'm never going to leave you, I've told you that before."

I looked up at him. "Do you remember what happened?"

He shook his head. "No. The last thing I remember is that when Harry and I grabbed the cup we were taken to a graveyard. After that I don't remember anything. Is he okay?"

I nodded. "He's okay. Are you okay? Physically, I mean."

"Yeah. I had a couple of broken ribs, but Madam Pomfrey's already healed them. I still have to stay until noon tomorrow though. Will you stay with me?"

"You can't make me leave even if you try," I responded, snuggling closer to him.

I heard the others approach, and low words were exchanged. After a half an hour, they were asked to leave by Madam Pomfrey. I didn't have to leave though, which I was very happy about. Cedric's parents had been in as well, both of them teary eyed. I fell asleep tightly wrapped around Cedric's body, and slept like a baby.

--

"Harry, hey," I said, surprised when the green eyed boy came into the infirmary the next morning. Cedric and I hadn't been up long, and was eating breakfast.

"Hey," he replied, looking very sad. "How are you?" he directed the question at Cedric, who shrugged.

"I've been better. Look, I don't remember what happened last night, but I can pretty much figure out that you saved my life. So thank you, I'm never going to be able to repay you."

"It's okay," Harry blushed slightly.

"Could you tell me what happened last night?"

Harry hesitated for a second, looked around to make sure we were alone, and then started to tell the story. From where him and Cedric grabbed the cup, to where Cedric hit his head on a grave in the graveyard, knocking him out, to the rise of Voldemort and the bringing back of the cup. Tears were once again streaming down my face when he was finished.

"So he's really back?" I asked, horrified.

Harry nodded solemnly. "He is. Dumbledore's doing what he can to alert the Ministry, though."

We sat in silence for a few minutes, until something crossed my mind. "What about the money?" Both boys looked at me, and I blushed a bit before continuing. "The price money; 1000 galleons. Do you split them or...?"

"You can take them," Harry said quickly. "I have no use for them."

"Harry, we couldn't," Cedric objected, but Harry blew him off.

"You need it more than I do. With the baby and all. If you won't accept it I'm just going to buy you something for the money, and I think you'll like the cash better because I have awful taste."

A chuckle passed between us, and then I reached up and gave Harry a loose hug. "Thank you Harry, for bringing him back to me. I don't know what I would have done if he had..."

"Hey, don't talk like that," Cedric said, stroking my back. "I'm here and I'm fine."

"I should be getting back, Ron and Hermione are waiting for me." Harry said, standing up.

"Off course," I nodded. "Thank you again Harry, I owe you." He gave a small smile, and then left. Up until lunch, Cedric and I didn't do much. We talked mostly, about our lives after Hogwarts. About the house in the outskirts of London where we would be living after finishing our NEWT's. Neither one of us had seen the house yet, but we would go there for a quick visit before starting studying for our NEWT's. I had been told by Cedric's mum that it was beautiful, though.

Cedric and I ate lunch in the infirmary, which worked best because everybody was very curious about Cedric. At least 10 different students had tried to come in to ask him questions, but Madam Pomfrey had driven them away, saying that Cedric needed his rest. After lunch we went out on the grounds, just walking around and walking. It was very sunny, and I basked in the warmth.

"I feel pretty weird." I stated as we were laying on the bank by the Black Lake, and turned my head to look at Cedric.

"What do you mean?"

"This school year has been so eventful. So many life changing things have happened." I smiled at him. "Like you. I can't even being to imagine what this year would be like if I hadn't had you."

"Very dull probably," he teased, and I chuckled. "Do you regret anything?" his tone was serious, and I hesitated.

"Not really. I probably would have stopped Cho from kissing you, and never gone with Dylan to the Yule Ball."

"I never should have fallen for Cho's trick. I should have seen it coming."

"Don't beat yourself up for it, it's in the past."

"You're right, as usual." He leaned over and kissed my cheek. "I love you."

"As I love you," I replied, captuing his lips with mine for a sweet kiss. His lips were so soft and warm against mine, and I gushes of air coming from his nose with every breath, hitting my cheek.

--

The week that led up to the leaving Feast was almost unreal. The only peace and quiet Cedric and I got was when we were in our room, or in the library. The Ravenclaws were the worst. Our fellow Hufflepuffs were glad that someone from their house had won, and had conveniently forgotten the fact that Harry had won too.

Also, the giggling fan girls seemed to be 10 times as many as before, and I was quickly getting fed up with them. When one came up for the millionth time wanting an autograph and flirting with _my _husband, I lost it.

I gave her a look of disgust that would have made Snape proud, and she looked terrified me before practically running away. Cedric's laughter echoed through the stone walls, and he looked down at me.

"What was that all about?"

"I'm so bloody tired of girls hitting on you all the time."

His response was only to laugh and pull me close. Otherwise, everything was well. Since there was no more classes, we had a ton of free time on our hands, and I spent more time playing wizard chess than I ever had before. The nights were filled with love making, or just cuddling.

A few days before the leaving fest, Dumbledore gave me and Cedric permission to travel to London to see our house. Since it wasn't safe to Apparate while pregnant, Dumbledore activated a portkey that would take us directly to our house at 2pm, and then back again at 6.

"You ready?" Cedric asked, and I nodded.

"I'm ready." We both grabbed the old hat at the same time, and I felt the pull around my belly button. I closed my eyes not to get dizzy from the spinning, and didn't open them until the spinning had stopped.

"It's beautiful!" I exclaimed, looking up at our house. It was a two story house built of dark bricks. From what I could see it had a big garden, and I could picture our child running around there.

"Yeah, it is," Cedric responded, as smitten with the house as I was. "Let's go inside."

Words can not describe how beautiful the house was. When you walked in, there was a medium sized foyer, and then the living-room was straight ahead. To the left was a big kitchen, and to the right was the stairs to the second story. As we walked through the house, I was struck again how very _us _the house was. The furniture, the colours, everything felt like home. There were three bedrooms, one master and two smaller that could be a nursery and an office. The master bathroom had a big sunken bathtub that looked so inviting, but I wanted to see the rest of the house first. We walked down to the living-room and out to the round, glassed in conservatory that faced the south of the house. As I stood in the garden and looked as the leaves in the big oak tree swayed slightly in the wind, I couldn't remember a time when I was happier.

Cedric came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me, holding me close to him. "This is our home," he said softly, leaning his chin on my shoulder.

I looked back at him, a smile on my face as I slightly rubbed his wedding band with my index finger. "This is our home."

We looked out over the woods that connected to our yard, and a content smile left my lips. This was life like it was supposed to be. I had everything I needed to.

I had Cedric, the most wonderful and beautiful man ever.

I was pregnant with our love child, and I knew that he (I was still rooting for a son) would be beautiful.

And I knew that whatever happened with Voldemort or anything, I would be okay. As long as I had Cedric, I'd be okay.

**Like it? Loathe it? Love it? Let me know.**


	30. Epilogue

**A/N at the bottom.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.**

**Falling at my own pace**

**Epilogue**

--5 years later—

"Mommy, mommy." The impatient tugging on my leg stopped me in my work and I looked down at my daughter. Her big blue eyes was looking up at me worriedly, and her lower lips was quivering.

"What's wrong baby?" I asked, drying of my hands on the towel.

"Damien took my colour pencil, and he won't give it back," she pouted, and I smiled down at her.

"I'll be right there sweetie,"

She went back into the livingroom, her golden brown pigtails bouncing behind her. I smiled to myself. She really was beautiful, with looks that resembled her father. Except for her eyes. She had my eyes. My mind was brought back to the day when she was born.

_Flashback_

_A scream tore __from my throat as I gave a final push, and I could feel my baby sliding out of my body. I was panting heavily, and I was exhausted. My head fell back against the pillows, and I could feel Cedric wash my sweaty forehead with a damp cloth._

"_You did amazing," he said softly and kissed my forehead. Immediatley a cry came from the station where Poppy had set up for the baby. She came over to us, holding a tiny baby wrapped into a white blanket. _

"_It's a beautiful, healthy, baby girl." Poppy's grin was wide, but not as wide as the one that lit up on my face. The 8 hours of painful labour seemed worthless no__w that I laid eyes on my baby. Poppy handed her over to me, and I took her gently. She had stopped crying, and was now looking up at me with big blue eyes. Tears flooded in my eyes as I smiled down at my daughter. _

"_I told you it was a girl," Cedric said, his voice filled with emotion, and I brought our joined hands up to my mouth to kiss his knuckles. "Our little Olivia Lenore Diggory." _

_End Flashback._

Then a wail like cry was heard from the living-room, and I hurried over there. Olivia was standing by Damien's playpen, holding a blue colour pencil in her hand. Damien was laying in the middle of the playpen, red in the face from crying. I immediatley picked him up and rocked him on my hip, trying to calm him down.

"Olivia, I told you that I would be right out."

"I'm sorry mum, but I wanted that pencil." Damn, those puppy dog eyes got to me every time. She's gotten that from Cedric, that's for sure.

"I know baby." I stroked the top of her head. "Go and colour, your dad will be home soon." With a bright smile she went off to finish colouring another drawing for her father.

Sitting down on the couch, I continued with my task to get Damien to stop crying. When he did, and looked up at me with big blue eyes, a surge of emotions went through my stomach. He had been born on October 17th last year, adding to our little family. He had golden brown locks like his father, but as he got older I could see more and more russet in it. He grinned toothly at me, and I couldn't help but to smile back.

"You want to help mommy in the kitchen?" I stood up and went back into the kitchen, sitting him down in his high chair. Stealing a glance at the clock next to the wall I could see that the hand with the name 'Cedric' on it was showing 'on his way home'. The other three hands were already pointing at 'home'. I continued with the dishes, actually prefering to do them by hand over by magic. I was on my last plate when I heard the front door open, and then Olivia's running steps.

"Daddy's home! Daddy's home!" I could hear her giggle, followed by Cedric's low chuckle.

"Hey sweetie. Glad to see me?" I figured that Olivia was nodding vigorously when Cedric chuckled again. "Did you and mommy do anything fun today?"

Their voices were getting closer, and I turned around just to see them walk through the kitchen door. A grin covered my face, and I gave a small chuckle. Cedric was carrying Olivia in his arms, and she was excitingly telling him about her day. Cedric shifted his gaze to me, and his crooked grin appeared on his face. I leaned back agaist the counter, pushing back my fringe from my eyes.

"That sounds great sweetie. You want to go play with your dolls?" She nodded, a huge grin on her face. He put her down, and the moment her feet touched the ground she went off into the direction her room.

"She's missed you, you know," I stated, a small grin playing my lips.

"Oh yeah? Did you miss me?"

"Immensely."

He stepped forward, and grabbed my hips, kneading the skin softly. He moved in closer so that our bodies were touching, and leaned his forehead against mine. I closed my eyes, just breathing in his scent as my arms circled his neck. I still felt as strongly about him as I did 5 years ago, maybe even more. It was crazy how much I missed him when he was at work. Shortly after getting Outstanding on all his NEWT's, he'd gotten a job at the _Department of International Magical Cooperation_, where he still worked.

Softly, I pressed my lips against his. My fingers threaded in his hair, pulling slightly as I kissed him harder. His lips opened against mine, and I tasted the faint trace of tea on his tongue. After a few minutes of slow kissing, I opened my eyes.

"Happy Anniversary," I smiled against his mouth, and I could feel him smile back.

"Happy Anniversary, love." Today was September 10th, the day we both had our first kiss **and **decided to start a relationship.

"I got you a present."

He pulled back, his crooked grin ever present on his face. "You did?"

I nodded. "It's in the living-room. Come on." I grabbed Damien from his high-chair, took Cedric's hand and then we walked into the living-room. I put the now asleep Damien down in the playpen. I sat down on the sofa after taking out the envelope from my purse and gave it to Cedric. He sat down next to me, and gave me a small kiss before opening it. I was wringing my hands, nervous about how he would like it.

He opened it, and I saw the shock on his face as he started at the black and white picture. His wide, grey eyes then turned to me, and I smothered a giggle. He looked kinda of comical with his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide.

"Is this for real?" I nodded. "You're not joking?" I shook my head. An even bigger grin covered his face, threatening to split his face in half. "We're having another baby?"

My grin matched his as I nodded. "We're having another baby." In the split of a second, I was pulled into his lap as he peppered kisses all over my face. "I love you so much, you have no idea." He spoke between kisses, and I pressed myself closer to him.

"I love you too." Our lips met again, but we broke apart when the sound of little feet came closer. Olivia looked at us with large eyes, and I climbed off Cedric's lap. She came up to sit between us, and looked confused at us.

"Why are you so happy, mommy?" she asked, and I gently stroked her hair.

"How do you feel about having another little brother or sister?"

THE END

**This is it. The end. When I started this story almost 6 months ago I had no idea how much this story would grow, or how much I'd come to love it. It's the longest story I've ever written, and I think one of the best. I want to give a HUGE thanks to everybody who was reviewed (over 100 reviews, never saw that one coming), and for sticking by me all this time. This is the end of the story between Cedric and Ava, I will NOT do a sequel. I feel that their story has been told. On another note, I am going to write chapter 20 in Cedric's POV, and post as soon as possible. Thank you again for reading, and I hope you'll read more of my stories.**

**Love, Morbidmuch  
**


	31. Cedric's POV

**A/N: Okay, so this is the absolute last of this story. This is the promised chapter 20 in Cedric's POV, and I'm actually really nervous about it. I've never written solely in a man's POV before. Thank you again for reading, and I hope that you like my other stories as well =)**

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only my original characters.

* * *

**Falling at my own pace**

**Cedric's POV**

It was March. Really, it was amazing how fast the year had gone. It felt like only yesterday that I stepped off the train at Hogsmeade, excited for the new year. It was then that I saw Ava. She was waiting for a carriage with her friends, stroking the hair from her face the the wind kept blowing in the way.

I still couldn't believe that she loved me. She was by far the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, and it wasn't only her physical appearance that had drawn me to her. It was the way that she tripped over everything, the way she didn't fuss about her looks every minute of the day like so many other girls, and the way she stood up for her friends.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when Tara sat down opposite from us, waving the morning paper in our faces and exclaiming, "Look at this!"

Ava took it from her, and I peeked over her shoulder. It was the interview with Rita Skeeter, and I read through it quickly. Hatred filled my body for Skeeter when I read the false information about Ava. About what happened at the Yule Ball. After reading it, Ava looked up at me, shock written all over her face.

"How did she found out about Dylan?"

Tara's eyes bulged out of her head. "It's true?" she said, her voice a bit to loud for my liking.

"At the night of the Yule Ball, he tried to rape me in the Astronomy tower," Ava replied low, and I gently stroked her back. "Don't fret on it Tara, it was almost three months ago. I'm over it." Ava looked out over the Great Hall, and her eyes turned to Harry. With a low sigh, she stood up. "I'll be right back."

I looked after Ava as she went, and noticed that most of the sudents were looking after her too. I wanted to shout at them to leave her alone, that they didn't know anything. But I didn't. She wouldn't want me to.

"Is she really okay?" Tara asked, and I turned to look at her.

"I think so." My gaze was turned back to Ava just in time to see her cover her mouth with one hand and running out of the Great Hall. Frowning, and I stood up and walked hastily after her.

I found her in the bathroom on the first floor, where she was emptying her breakfast into the porcelain powl. Squatting next to her, I pulled her hair back from her sweaty forehead and rubbed smooth circles on her back. After a few minutes she leaned her forehead against the toilet and took deep breaths of air.

"Are you okay?" I asked, unable to hide the concern in my voice.

"I'm fine. Must have been a stomach bug or something." She looked up at me and brushed away a few tears that had escaped from her eyes. "I'm gonna skip Hogsmeade."

I nodded. "It's probably for the best if you rest. Come on, I'll walk you back to the common room." I grabbed her hand to help her up, and she rinsed out her mouth a couple of times before we went to the common room.

"I'm gonna crash in your room if that's alright with you," she asked, and I nodded.

"Off course. Stay as long as you feel like it." I kissed her forehead, stroking her hair gently. "I'll see you after lunch, okay?"

"Have fun." She gave a weak smile, and lay down on the bed.

--

I took a few moments to look at her before I decided to wake her up. I'd never seen beauty until I saw Ava sleeping. I woke her up with a soft kiss, and a crooked grin came onto my lips as she opened her eyes. "Happy anniversary," I smiled, and was awarded with a smile from her.

"Happy anniversary." She leaned up to kiss me again, a bit harder this time. When I felt her tongue slightly caress mine, she suddenly pushed me away and made a bee-line to the bathroom. I heard her throwing up, and felt a tugging on my heart. I didn't like to see her sick. I got dressed, and was just finished when she came back out, looking pale and sick.

"You need to go and see Madam Pomfrey about that," were the first words out of my mouth, and she nodded.

"I was planning on doing it after lunch."

"I could go with you if you want," I offered, stroking her hair lightly.

"I'd prefer going alone, actually." She smiled slightly at me. "Let's get down to breakfast, okay?"

I could hardly concentrate through my classes, and McGonagall nearly gave me detention for not paying attention. I met up with Ava outside the Great Hall, but she told me that she was still feeling sick and that she would just skip lunch. I agreed with her and gave her a kiss before she went up to the Hospital Wing. Lunch was uneventful, I hurried the food down my throat before I headed of to the common room to do some homework. I had an essay in Arithmancy that was killing me, and I wanted to go over my answers at least two more times to make sure I got them right.

About an hour later I was still sitting in the common room, my nose buried in the book. Suddenly I felt a sort of magnetic pull, and when I looked up I saw that Ava was standing there. A crooked grin appeared on my face. "How did it go with Madam Pomfrey? Did she know what was wrong with you?"

At first she didn't answer, and I noticed that she didn't look too good. She was still pale, and looked like she had the world on her shoulders.

"We need to talk." Her voice was uncharacteristically cold, and flat. Like she didn't have any emotions left. "Can we go to your room?"

I gave her a confused look, but gathered my books and followed her to my room. Once we were inside, I cast a silencing spell over the door and locked it. I sat down at the bed, still looking confused at her. She was starting to scare me, with the blank look in her eyes.

"Ava, what's wrong?" She didn't answer. "Please say something, you're scaring me."

"I'm pregnant." She blurted out, and I could feel my eyes turn wide.

"P-pregnant?" I stuttered. "How did this happen?"

"I think we both know how this happened, Cedric," she said dryly.

"But we used protection." This was a mistake, it had to be. We _had _used protection every time, I was sure of it.

"Not on my birthday," she sighed, and ran a hand through her hair.

I could only stare at her. She was actually pregnant. Carrying _my _child inside her womb. Then a feeling of fear went through me. What if she didn't want the baby? It wasn't exactly something we'd talked about. I knew I wanted this baby, as well as her. It seemed like my plans to propose finally would be set into action. Knowing that I'd probably regret it, I spoke up. "Are you keeping it?"

Her temper flared, and her eyes narrowed at me. "Off course I'm keeping it. Do you think I could just kill my baby like that, _our _baby?" She paused for a second, and then her eyes got wide. It was like she finally grasped the situation, and tears flooded in her eyes. "Oh my god," she whispered. Within a fraction of a second, I stood up and pulled her to me, placing her on my lap as I held her tight. Her thin body was shaking with sobs, and I could feel my eyes pool up with tears as well. Tears for this situation, for us. When Ava noticed that I was crying too, she hugged me closer and stroked my hair. Together we sat like that, holding each other as we cried.

--

The next evening when we were about to go to bed, I asked her the question that had been on my mind since she dropped the bomb on me yesterday.

"Ava?" I said low, and she 'hmm'ed. "I want to apologize for the way I acted yesterday."

She looked up from the book she was reading, and stroke away her fringe from her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"When I asked if you wanted to keep the baby."

She frowned, and moved closer to me. "It's nothing to apologize for; it's a legitimate question."

I shook my head. "It came out wrong, luv. I made it seem like I don't want this baby, which I do. I just wasn't sure if you did. I mean, it's not like we've talked about it or anything."

Ava smiled and snuggled up close to my side, tangling her legs with mine and resting her head on my chest. "You're amazing, you know that right?" she looked up at me, her dark blue eyes glinting in the low lights.

"What do you mean?"

"Name one 18-year old you know that would stand my his 17-year old pregnant girlfriend."

I chuckled. "I see your reason. But that doesn't make me amazing, it just makes me _me._"

A wide grin covered her face as she crawled on top of me, straddling me. "And you, my love, are amazing." She pressed her lips against mine softly. I gave a contened smile against her lips. Could life possibly be any better?

_Yes it could, _a voice in the back of my head said. _It will be better when she has a ring on her finger. _

As I rolled us over so that I was on top I thought; _soon my love. Soon. _

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